Worth the Wait
by TheFreakyGirl
Summary: The Doctor was captured by the Cybermen, they killed Mrs. Moore and Rose Tyler had been turned into a Cyberman. So, what happens when a man has nothing left to lose? Set during The Age of Steel but not compatible with rest of story. Rated T for violence.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Hello my lovely readers! So, I made a promise to myself never to upload a story unless it was 100% finished. I've never actually finished one...until now! I'll be uploading this in instalments, but they won't take ages and I won't lose interest.**

**I had great fun writing this story, so I hope you enjoy reading it. **

**And please, be gentle, it's my first story. **

**I'd also like to thank everyone that have read my stories, reviewed, favourited, or alerted them. **

**One last thing, this story is dedicated to my darling Suzy, whose birthday it was recently. Without her, RE lessons would have no meaning. **

**But it is also dedicated to you, my fantastic fellow 10/Rose fans, because you're the reason I keep on writing.**

**Disclaimer: You can ask me again and again, but I will sadly never own Doctor Who. Still owned by the BBC. Damn. **

**Chapter One:**

The Doctor kept his hands firmly in his trouser pockets as the Cybermen walked him back through the cooling tunnels and into the building of Cybus Industry. They had left behind Mrs. Moore's body in that corridor and not even given her a backwards glance. That emotional inhibitor really was a spectacular piece of technology, especially considering it had been made by humans.

"Enter." One of the Cybermen ordered as they approached a plain white door. With a hint of mockery, the Doctor swaggered up to the door and pushed it open. A dozen more Cybermen were waiting inside, standing still as statues by the windows. When the Doctor had stepped into the room the door was closed behind him and a Cyberman immediately moved to block it. They had him trapped like a rat, and the Doctor did so hate to be constricted.

"'Ello," He greeted warmly to a motionless Cyberman. "So, which Cyberman are you then, number 4578? Or do you actually have a name? Keith? Ooh, if I was a metal shell with a human brain and no emotions, I still wouldn't like to be called Keith. It doesn't sound right. I'd want a cool name, like Ultimate Destroyer or something that would suit you-"

"Enough." The Cyberman cut him off monotonously.

"Always did talk too much. I haven't had a sales call in forever because I run up _their _phone bills!"

"LET GO OF ME, YOU BLOODY METAL TOASTERS!" The Doctor recognised Pete's furious voice as the door burst open, narrowly missing the Cyberman stood in front of it. Pete was dragged inside by two Cybermen, kicking and yelling furiously, bright red in the face, clashing awfully with his blonde hair.

"HOW COULD YOU?" He screamed.

"Oh Pete fancy seeing you here!" The Doctor said sarcastically. "I was hoping you could rescue me actually, but there goes that idea."

The Doctor didn't fail to notice the moisture that had collected in the corners of his eyes, obviously they'd found Jackie. He waited intently for another figure to walk through the door, and frowned when no one did.

"Where's Rose?" He asked in a falsely calm voice. Pete looked up at him, his eyes glazed over, as he visibly swallowed. Both Pete and the Doctor started at the sound of the door opening again. A Cyberman stepped inside and shut it behind him, standing as still as a statue.

"Doctor, I'm sorry…" Pete whispered, leaning against the wall and putting his head in his hands.

**A/N: So! How do you think that went? Even if it wasn't really FANTASTIC please try the next chapter, because hopefully it'll be a bit better. **

**This story will be 15ish chapters long and maybe an epilogue, if I have enough imagination for that.**

**Thanks! **

**TheFreakyGirl.**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Okay, so I just uploaded the other chapter about...ooh 5 minutes ago? But I couldn't resist. I just LOVE this story! **

**Chapter Two:**

"What are you talking about?" The Doctor asked, still trying to keep his voice even. Pete was freely crying now, something that the Doctor would never allow himself to do.

"It was all going fine, but then…" He exhaled shakily. "…then we found Jackie. She was one of…_them." _He practically spat the word, glaring at the Cyberman blocking the door. "They realised that we weren't being controlled and they took her away, Doctor." That was it. His worst fear confirmed. Something snapped inside him, and all he saw was red.

"WHERE IS SHE?" He bellowed at one of the motionless Cybermen, his brown eyes were ablaze. He was so distracted that he didn't notice another one of the Cyberman that entered silently. The Cyberman he was shouting at didn't even flinch, or show any sign of fear at the 'Oncoming Storm'.

"_That is not relevant_." It replied coldly.

"WHERE IS SHE? TELL ME!" He repeated.

"_Rose Tyler_." The Doctor whipped round to look at another of the identical Cybermen. "_You are questioning about Rose Tyler. Confirm_." It said, stepping forward.

"Confirm." He whispered almost inaudibly.

"_I have Rose Tyler's brain_." It stated robotically. "_I can see her memories_." The Doctor felt his hearts both stop beating, as he stumbled backwards.

"No." Pete stuttered from behind him.

"You can't be her, not my Rose, not her please." The Doctor repeated as his whole world collapsed around him. As the room spun, all he could see was her. Rose smiling, laughing, the way she felt in his arms. Their goodbye before she'd gone into Cybus Industries, the Cybermen lair, had been way too short. A quick hug and a backwards glance and now he'd never be able to touch her again, to feel her warmth. Now, she was just a lump of steel, her emotions that had made her so human had been ripped from her.

"_We are one, and I see what she thought of you. She loved you._" If he wasn't so sure that the emotional inhibitor was completely stable, he would've suspected that the Cyberman held a hint of disgust in its voice, like it had uttered some unforgivable word. What had it meant by she 'loved' him? Had she felt something for him? A weight immediately settled in his chest. It didn't matter anyway, because nothing could come of it, because she wasn't even here anymore. He laughed humourlessly.

"You've made a very, _very _big mistake today." The Doctor hissed venomously. "Because you've taken away the one thing in this world that I cared about more than anything else, and I don't really have a lot left to live for, so I will stop you, and it doesn't matter how many of your minions you send my way, I will keep fighting, for _her._"

"The Time _Lord will not answer anything. Take him to the cells, along with the male._" The 'Rose' Cyberman ordered. Both Pete and the Doctor struggled against the iron grip of the Cybermen. They were dragged through many corridors and down a few flights of stairs, into a darker, colder part of the building.

"WHERE IS SHE?" The Doctor continued to scream furiously.

"YOU WON'T GET AWAY WITH THIS!" Pete yelled along with him, their voices echoing through the dull corridors. They were lead into a room that actually had worse living conditions than one of those human prisons. The concrete walls were a dull grey and there were two thin mattresses on the floor. The Doctor and Pete were pushed into the room and the cell door locked behind them. Pete continued to yell and bang on the metal bars until his fists were red and his voice was hoarse. The Doctor just slid down the wall and rested his elbows on his knees, gripped his hands in his brown hair.

"She can't be." He repeated over and over again like a mantra.

Eventually Pete tired and sat down beside the Doctor, staring at the wall opposite. They sat like that for what seemed hours before Pete decided to speak. His voice penetrated the cold and lonely silence.

"She must have realised that our earpieces weren't working."

"Hm," The Doctor mumbled, pulling himself from his thoughts of Rose.

"Jackie. Or, what was her. She must've noticed. After all, she had the memories of me. Jackie _knew me. _We were married. Nearly twenty years. Still, we were getting a divorce anyway."

"Why?" The Doctor asked, frowning.

"I worked too much, apparently. And the money that I made changed her. Made her…conceited." He exhaled deeply and leant his head against the wall. They sat in silence for a few more moments, until Pete spoke again.

"Why did she care so much?" The Doctor immediately knew who he was talking about.

"It was like you said to her earlier, there are other universes. Parallel ones that have another Pete, and another Jackie." Pete's brow furrowed. "…But this Pete and Jackie had a daughter."

"S-she…" His mouth hung open. The Doctor smiled sadly.

"So what's she doing here?"

"The TARDIS – our…spaceship, Time and Relative Dimension in Space – fell through a hole in the fabric between our universe and yours. We were just going to go back, but she saw you in an advert. That's why she had to try and find you. See…her Pete died when she was six months old."

Pete's mouth opened wider than the Doctor thought possible, but he quickly regained composure. "She wasn't actually my daughter though. She was the other Pete's daughter." He folded his arms and the conversation ended there. The Doctor stood up and shifted over to lie down on one of the mattresses. The damn things didn't even let them have pillows and blankets. That emotional inhibitor was _definitely _working.

When Pete woke up the next morning the Doctor was still asleep. He didn't even know what time it was, he didn't care. He tried to get back to sleep, he really did, but every time he closed his eyes, he just saw Jackie and Rose being turned into those Cybermen. Suddenly, the door swung open and a mousy looking maid with blonde hair walked in followed by a Cyberman. Her eyes were wide with fear and she was shaking, the tray she had clutched in her hands was making the bowls rattle.

"_Sustenance_," The Cyberman declared. The maid handed Pete a bowl of what looked like grey blended porridge.

"I'll wake him up." He said politely, setting the bowl down. He knelt down and gently nudged the Doctor.

"Umf," He said incoherently, before springing up upon seeing the Cyberman. The maid handed him the bowl and he looked at it with a grim expression. Seeing her made a wave of grief wash over the Doctor, because she reminded him slightly of Rose, except that her eyes were brown, whereas Rose's were a bright green.

"What is this?" Pete asked in a friendly tone. She opened her mouth to reply, then her eyes widened and she closed it quickly.

"_Do not converse."_ The Cyberman ordered.

She bowed her head and practically ran from the room. The Cyberman followed her, slamming the door behind it.

"I wonder who she is…" Pete mused.

"She's a prisoner, like us. Like everyone else." The Doctor said, not looking away from the door. He ignored the food and sat down on the mattress he'd been asleep on, bringing his knees up to his chest and resting his chin on them. Pete thought he looked like a lonely child, trying in vain to hide from the world.

"There's still hope, Doctor. Mickey and Jake could crash the zeppelin and they could find a way to salvage the brains and save those people; like Jackie and Rose."

"Their bodies have been destroyed."

"Look, I'm trying to be positive. You aren't the only one who's lost someone!" Pete was getting red faced now, a sure sign that he was angry.

"I learnt a long time ago that positivity only ends in heartbreak." The Doctor said solemnly, looking at the floor.

On the third day of their captivity, and the Doctor's near silence, Pete had had enough. He paced the floor of their cell for a full half an hour.

"That's it. We have to get out of here."

"We can't. We'll be killed." The Doctor said from his position, leaning against the wall.

"That sounds better than being caged like dogs! People are dying out there and you're doing nothing to stop it!"

"What do you expect me to do? I have nothing left." He whispered, brown eyes blazing furiously. He slid down the wall until he was in a sitting position. Pete was almost pleased when the Doctor showed some sort of emotion for the first time in 72 hours.

"Rose wouldn't want you to just give up like this," Pete argued.

"You didn't know her at all,"

"No I didn't. But that doesn't matter, because the kindness was practically radiating off of her. She cared so much, and she would tell you exactly what I'm telling you now. You can't just give up, because you've lost her. Rose would definitely want you to _keep fighting. _Isn't that what you said, that you'd keep fighting for her?"

Despite wanting to shout and scream at Pete, and tell him that he was wrong, The Doctor knew that he was right. He could practically see Rose standing in-front of him, arms folded and a disapproving expression on her lovely face. He stood up and ran a hand through his hair.

"Fine, but if we do this, we have to have a plan." He said.

**A/N: So, yeah, bit longer than the other one...**

**TheFreakyGirl.**


	3. Chapter 3

******A/N: So, I was a bit disappointed that no one reviewed, but I can't help but keep posting this story, because it's literally the only one I've ever finished, plus my friend read it and said it was her favourite, so it pushed me to put up another chapter. Seriously, even one word might help me improve on whatever, but still thanks for reading anyway. I still love you even if you read and don't review. **

**This chapter's shorted than the one before, but I think the next one is a bit longer. **

**Plus, in this chapter I've made up a character, and she's definitely one of my favourites. **

**Chapter Three:**

After hours of scheming - which wasn't new for the Doctor - they had finally come up with some sort of plan. It wasn't solid; they were basically planning on overwhelming the Cyberman when he entered with the maid.

This morning was different, though. The maid/prisoner actually came in earlier, and more frantically then she had done before. The keys were jangling in her hand and her usually smooth hair was unruly, with dark circles under her eyes. She was out of breath, like she'd been running, and for the first time ever, Pete and the Doctor heard her speak.

"I…I escaped." She panted. "It won't be long before they find me, but I have to tell you, that she's still…alive," She exhaled heavily, clutching her chest. The Doctor stepped forward and rested a hand on her shoulder. "I-I'm sorry," She said breathlessly. "I couldn't tell you earlier."

"It's fine. It's not your fault. What's your name?"

"Jenna, Jenna Roberts," She answered, straightening up. The Doctor smiled warmly.

"I'm the Doctor and this is Pete, now who's still alive?"

"The blonde woman that you came here with, she's still alive." The Doctor's mouth fell open.

"What," Pete whispered.

"The Cybermen are smart. They didn't kill her; they just copied her memories and put her in a coma, in a room in the north of the Cybus building. She's the Bad Wolf, and they didn't want to waste that." At Pete and the Doctor's confused looks, she continued. "We're in the south, so you need to save her, and then escape."

"You can come with us," Pete offered. The Doctor nodded in agreement.

"I-I couldn't," She stuttered.

"Of course you can! I have this…time machine. I can take you anywhere. I can take you home." The Doctor said. Her brown eyes widened.

"I could go back home, to Dad?" She asked shakily. The Doctor nodded. "He needs me, y'know. He had a stroke, after Mum left." She was rambling now, something the Doctor was familiar with. He would let her go on until she got it out of her system, but they didn't have much time.

"Look, Jenna, we need to go. Do you know exactly where Rose is?" She nodded.

"Yes,"

"Then let's go! Allons-y!" He grinned for what felt like the first time in forever and ran off out of the door and down the corridor, Pete and Jenna sprinting to keep up.

They had to dodge a couple of Cybermen on their way there but it actually disappointed the Doctor that the place was so loosely guarded.

"This is ridiculous! Don't they have more – Oh! Hello!" The Doctor jerked to a stop to avoid running smack bang into a Cyberman's metal chest. "I've been wondering where you are!"

"Doctor," Pete warned.

"No, I've been waiting for this!" The Cyberman said nothing, but raised its hand, poised and ready to kill.

"_I did my duty, for Queen and country." _The Doctor gasped.

"Oh…that didn't come from you," He said to the Cyberman in-front of him. "However, I do know that voice."

**A/N: I swear, every chapter ends in some sort of cliffhanger, and for that I apologise, but this wasn't _that _dramatic. Still, next chapter should be up tomorrow, if I have time. **

**Thanks! **

**TheFreakyGirl. **


	4. Chapter 4

******So, here's chapter four. I was a bit miffed that I had loooads of reads but only one review, I can't get better unless you tell me how to, and it would be really helpful! **

**However, don't think I don't appreciate you guys reading my story. Even if you give it a try and don't like it, at least you took your time to give it a go. **

**Without further ado, here's the next instalment of _Worth the Wait_! **

**Chapter Four:**

"_I did my duty, for Queen and country." _The voice repeated. The Doctor barely flinched when the Cyberman before him suddenly exploded, although Pete and Jenna simultaneously dropped to the floor. The Doctor peered over the remnants of the Cyberman.

"Oh, Yvonne, I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry." He whispered. The Cyberman holding the gun tilted its head, like it was listening and oil trickled from its empty eye socket, like a tear down its metal face.

"_Thank you." _

"You're so strong, Yvonne. It's phenomenal that you have the ability to break through that emotional inhibitor."

"_Please__…__make it end." _The Doctor could detect the tremor of emotion in its voice. The Doctor nodded, looking at Jenna.

"Hey Jenna, I don't suppose you've seen a screwdriver about, have you?"

"It's in the same room as that woman – Rose - is; locked away." She reached into her pocket and pulled out the keys that she had used to unlock the cell earlier.

"The key is one of these." The Doctor smiled.

"You're a great help, Jenna. Thank you." He turned back to the Cyberman.

"If you come with us, I can get my sonic screwdriver and…I can take it all away. I can make it all stop, I promise." His voice broke but he straightened and cleared his throat.

"Off we go then! The best rescue crew in the universe, Allons-y!" This time Jenna led, as the Doctor hung back, walking next to the Cyberman, although neither one said anything.

Finally Jenna stopped in-front of a door. It looked exactly the same as all the other doors in this building, but she said she was sure that it was the right one. They stood there for a while, Pete, the Doctor and 'Cyberman Yvonne' watching for Cybermen as Jenna found the right key. She pushed the door open and they all rushed inside.

The sight that met the Doctor made his stomach twist. It was a room exactly like the cell, except there was a gurney, like the ones in those bad hospital television programmes. Rose was lying on it, strapped up to different machines, she was thinner and paler than she had been – her usually red cheeks colourless.

"Rose." He whispered.

"She's…she's…" Pete couldn't think of anything to say. He just stood in the doorway, shaking slightly.

"I've been keeping her fed and hydrated, but she isn't very healthy at the moment." Jenna offered. The Doctor nodded.

"And I can't thank you enough." He walked over to Rose's motionless form and bent over her. "I can wake her up, but you can't just pull out all of the wires. I'm going to need time, and my sonic screwdriver."

"Would it be in there?" Pete piped up, pointing to a small box in the corner of the room. Boy, where the Cybermen conspicuous. Jenna immediately rushed over and began trying one of the many keys on the key-ring. While she worked, the Doctor watched Rose, Pete stepped into the room, going to stand behind the Doctor and the Cyberman that had been Yvonne Hartman stood motionless by the door, keeping an eye out for any Cybermen heading their way. A small click told the Doctor that Jenna had found the right key, and he rushed over, kneeling down next to her. She handed him his familiar sonic screwdriver and he hefted it in his palm, grinning like a Cheshire cat.

"I've missed you," He said to it. Jenna raised an eyebrow but said nothing. He jumped to his feet and moved back next to Rose, immediately turning serious. Suddenly, he looked up.

"Wait," He looked at the Yvonne-Cyberman. "I promised to help you." The Cyberman nodded and slowly lowered to the floor, lying down, arms and legs straight. The Doctor moved to sit next to it, and removed the cap on its chest. It looked exactly the same as Sally Phelan had, when he had been with Mrs. Moore; the emotional inhibitor, the blue glow, not so different from the glow of the screwdriver and the strings of jelly-like flesh.

"Thank you, for saving us." Jenna said, tears glazing over her eyes.

"Yes, you saved our lives." Pete added, swallowing hard.

"I'm so sorry this happened to you, Yvonne. You never deserved this. No one did." The Doctor raised his hand and pressed the sonic screwdriver to the core of the Cyberman's chest, pressing the button on the side.

"_Thank__…__you." _It whispered, before the bluish glow faded and it fell silent. Jenna cried quietly in the corner, as Pete gripped her hand. The Doctor brushed a hand through his hair and stood up, straightening his tie and moving back to Rose.

He worked in silence, barely glancing up, completely focused on the work in front of him. He slowly switched off the machines, carefully, so that Rose's heart wouldn't stop.

And then, just like that, he'd finished, and Rose opened her eyes.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Ahh! I've had three reviews on this story! It made me feel really happy! Thank you to everyone that reviewed, alerted and even just read my story! I love you all! Here we go again, chapter five! **

**Chapter Five:**

Rose's eyes, those brown eyes, those beautiful, innocent brown eyes. She blinked once, her long eyelashes swooping down and rising again with a grace that he knew she did unknowingly. Then she blinked again, and the Doctor had to restrain himself from throwing his arms around her. She'd been in a medically induced coma for about three days now, and he didn't want to overwhelm her. Instead, he just slid the sonic screwdriver into his inner jacket pocket and smiled warmly at her.

"Doctor, you did it!" Pete exclaimed from across the room. Jenna moved over to look at Rose and grinned at her.

"Hello! How are you feeling?" She asked in a friendly tone. The Doctor frowned as Rose's bottom lip trembled, and her eyes darted nervously between her three observers.

"I-I'm sorry, who are you?" She asked, frightened. The Doctor's frown deepened, his brow furrowing.

"Rose, it's me. The Doctor,"

"I'm sorry I don't…I don't remember you," She said quietly. Pete stepped forward.

"Rose?" He asked, "Do you remember me?" She shook her head. The Doctor gasped, and put his head in his hands.

"I was worried this would happen." He muttered.

"What would happen?" Jenna approached him, laying a hand on his shoulder.

"They wiped her memories. Not the basics, she still knows how to eat and things like that, but she doesn't remember us."

"But…you said that she'd be okay!" Pete protested.

"I don't understand…" Rose's voice shook slightly.

"Rose! Do you remember Jackie, your mother?" Pete was getting quite hysterical, and Rose looked positively terrified.

"N-no, I'm sorry,"

"Pete you need to calm down, you're scaring her," Jenna told him. Pete just shook his head and walked out of the door, talking angrily to himself. Then he rushed back inside.

"Umm, there's about 20 Cybermen walking down the corridor towards us; they've found us."

"No!" Jenna cried out, hands over her mouth as her eyes widened. The Doctor said nothing, he just stared at Rose and she stared back at him. Pete shook him fiercely.

"You can't do this again, Doctor. You _have _to get us out of here. You have to MOVE!" The Doctor pulled himself from the dark recesses of his mind and sprung into action.

"Rose, I'm so sorry, but you're going to have to come with us, quickly." She looked up at him, and nodded almost imperceptibly.

"I…trust you," She seemed to choose her words carefully, before she sat up slowly. Her legs trembled violently when she finally got to her feet, and she almost fell. The Doctor caught her, and he could see that she wouldn't have the energy to run. Her eyelids began to droop, and the Doctor was unsure if she would even remain conscious.

"How much do you trust me?" He asked cautiously.

"A lot," Her words were slurred with exhaustion.

"Good," The Doctor slid one arm under her jean clad legs and picked her up, holding her close to his chest. She groaned slightly, but her eyes were already shut, and she just laid her head on his shoulder. It worried the Doctor how little she weighed, like almost nothing. When they got out of here they were going straight to a chippy for an extra large portion of chips. She'd like that – or at least, she used to like that. He wasn't entirely sure how eager Rose would be to go anywhere alone with him, because she couldn't remember him at all. But it wasn't over. He _would _find a way to save her.

"Right, we need somewhere to go. Jenna, do you know how to get out of here?"

"I know every inch of the building," She said confidently.

"You can lead us out of here then,"

Jenna poked her head out of the door and immediately pulled it back in.

"They're getting closer!" She squeaked.

"Then let's go," Pete said. The Doctor nodded and gripped Rose tighter. Jenna looked over her shoulder to check everyone was ready and darted out of the door. Pete followed her, and the Doctor came last, carrying Rose.

"_Prisoners are escaping." _The Cybermen all spoke at once, as one, as an army, a deadly, metal army. They started to advance, and the Doctor mentally thanked Lumic for making their movements so slow, however he knew that more would be coming, they would get boxed in and caught if they didn't move fast.

Apparently, his other two companions were thinking the same, as they wasted no time running off down the corridor, in the opposite direction to the advancing Cybermen. Jenna led them through corridor after corridor, but they all blended into one for the Doctor. Rose didn't slow him down at all; she didn't wake up either, just mumbling incoherently a few times. They had to dodge into a couple of rooms to avoid being captured, but finally they made it to the exit. It was a heavy steel door, and when Pete tried to push it open, it didn't move at all.

"Wait, I have my sonic screwdriver," The Doctor said. He tried to shift Rose slightly so that he could reach into his pocket, but she just buried closer. Pete noticed the struggle the Doctor was having and stepped forward, taking Rose from him. His eyes widened when the Doctor released her.

"She's so light…" He observed, gripping her black hoodie tightly; as if he feared that she would turn to smoke before him. The Doctor said nothing but gripped the sonic screwdriver and made his way over to the door. He pressed the button and it whirred, glowing blue. And then, nothing happened.

"Well that was impressive," Pete said sarcastically.

"It's deadlocked. We can't get out." The Doctor's voice was laced with disappointment, like he'd finally given up.

"Every time freedom comes into sight, something happens and it's ripped away from us," Jenna said scathingly. Suddenly she yelled out and jumped up and down, startling both Pete and the Doctor.

"WAIT! I HAVE THE KEYS! HOW COULD I HAVE FORGOTTEN?" She laughed giddily, hugging the Doctor and Pete. This had to be the first time they'd heard her laugh, and it made them smile. She unlocked the door and swung it open, and the Doctor had never been happier to see London.

**A/N: Aww, I know everyone will hate me for giving Rose memory loss, but I couldn't let their reunion be _too _happy. **

**Next chapter uploaded...um...in a few days. I have exams and assessments, so I could be busy for a while, but please have faith in me!**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Another chapter! It was pointed out to me that Rose's eyes are in fact brown, and I felt a bit of an idiot for not realising that. But to those who let me know, thanks! **

**I'm glad that so many people like this story, because it's the only one I've ever actually managed to complete. **

**Anyway, enjoy! **

**Oh, and I'd just like to say, thank you again to everyone who reviewed or did whatever else with this story, because you're the people that keep me writing! **

**Chapter Six:**

There were no celebrations of their freedom; everyone just immediately made their way to the safe house. The Doctor took Rose back into his arms, despite Pete's arguments that he could carry her. The Doctor finally persuaded him, with the fact that Pete knew these streets way better than he or Jenna, seeing as she was from the extreme south of England, and it would be much easier for him to focus without having to carry Rose.

It was dark by the time they'd reached the safe house. Pete opened the door and Mickey and Jake were immediately there, pointing guns at them.

"Don't shoot! It's us! Pete and the Doctor! We've got Rose!" Pete shouted, throwing his hands in the air.

"How do we know it's you?" Jake asked suspiciously, although Mickey had already lowered his gun.

"Rose!" He said, upon seeing her. He made to rush towards her, but Jake stuck out a hand to stop him.

"I was the government mole in Cybus Industries, I was Gemini; Encrypted wavelength six five seven using binary nine!" Jake finally seemed to believe them, and ordered them inside, checking to see no Cybermen had followed them.

"Who's she?" Jake asked coldly, gesturing to Jenna.

"Her name is Jenna. She was a prisoner, like us. Be nice to her, she saved our lives," The Doctor said. He laid Rose down on a lumpy sofa and stroked her hair from her forehead.

"What happened to Rose?" Mickey asked quietly. The Doctor hadn't even heard him come up behind him.

"They wiped her memories, and imprinted them on another Cyberman. She doesn't remember anything,"

As if on cue, Rose woke up. Mickey leaned closer to her, smiling uneasily.

"Rose?" He whispered tentatively,

"I don't…" She looked to the Doctor for solace.

"It's okay," He soothed. "He was your friend,"

"I was her _boy_friend." Mickey corrected scathingly. The Doctor just rolled his eyes. A stray tear rolled down Rose's cheek.

"Why can't I remember anything?"

"She needs food, she's weak," Jenna said, "I'll go make some, if you want." She offered.

"I can show you where everything is," Jake said, leading her into the next room. It seemed he wanted to make up for being so rude earlier.

"What do you remember, Rose?"

"I know that my name is Rose Tyler, and I am 24 years old. The first memory I have is waking up with these…metal men around me. Then…it all goes black, until you," She looked at the Doctor, "You woke me up, and we all ran – or, you carried me,"

"They knew that there was a chance that we would get her, so they did the best thing they could do to hurt me. They made Rose forget everything." The Doctor's voice was anguished.

"Isn't there some way you can reverse it?" Mickey tried. He sighed.

"I can try, but there's no guarantee. I have to be careful, if I pressure her mind too much, her brain could collapse under the strain and she could die."

"Do it," Rose said resolutely. All three men looked at her, as she smiled weakly at the Doctor.

"But, Rose, I don't want you to-" She held up a hand, cutting him off.

"I'd rather be dead than not remember everything," She reached over and intertwined her fingers with his, clutching it tightly, like she had so many times before. He sighed and squeezed her hand lightly.

"Fine, but the minute your brain performance starts to decline, we're stopping." She said nothing, just smiled wider.

-;-

Once they'd managed to kick out Pete and Mickey out, the Doctor sat next to Rose on the sofa. They both folded their legs, facing each other. The Doctor placed both his hands on the sides of her face, pressing his middle and index fingers on her temples. She closed her eyes, and he began to explore her mind, like he had done with Reinette, not so long ago.

"It's all locked away," He told Rose. "Inside what looks like…a box tucked away in the corner of your mind, but I keep getting glimpses," He'd even seen himself. Memories like her childhood, eating chips with Mickey, the time they had spent together, such as their adventure on New Earth, even thoughts of before he'd regenerated.

"I can't see any of them," Rose said sadly.

"I can't open the box, Rose. I'm sorry. I can't do it without killing you,"

"It's okay. I guess I'll just have to make new memories," She grinned optimistically, although there was sadness in her eyes.

"I can tell you about things as well. It may not be the same, but it's all I can do," He looked at the material of the sofa, tugging on a loose thread.

"What are you, Doctor?" She asked suddenly. He looked up again.

"Sorry?"

"You don't seem like everyone else. Sometimes you seem lonely, too lonely, like you've been lonely for a long time." Her mind threw out a random name. "The Lonely Traveller," She quoted, making him frown.

"How did you…" He trailed off.

"I don't know. I just remembered it. I get flashes of things and then they're gone." She chuckled, "It's really irritating. It's like…picking up sand. No matter how hard you try, everything just slips through your fingers." She chewed on her bottom lip as she pondered if she should say what she was thinking, finally she decided; _why not?_ "Doctor, what was our…relationship? Were we friends, or…" Rose struggled to find a word. "…more?"

"Oh, like, best friends? Yeah, we were total BFF's. I think we even braided each other's hair a couple of times." He joked. Rose chuckled again, but soon turned serious.

"Were – are - we just friends though?" She persisted. The Doctor thought for a moment, whether to lie or tell the truth.

"Well…" The Doctor was relieved that he had the chance to dodge her question as Jake, Mickey, Pete and Jenna all walked in, Mickey and Jake already had weapons in their hands, Jenna had gone for the more pacifistic option, and was carrying a bowl of soup and a buttered roll for Rose.

"It's not a very good show of faith when you walk around with a machine gun in your hands, y'know," The Doctor scolded.

"They aren't machine guns. They're AK-47's," Jake replied arrogantly.

"Well, you could just fight them with the power of persuasion," The Doctor teased. Jenna walked over to Rose and handed her the tray of food. Rose smiled at her.

"Thank you, Jenna." She immediately began eating, and the Doctor was glad to see some colour rushing back into her cheeks. "You're very kind," She said. Jenna blushed and laughed.

"My Dad always used to say that. I looked after him all the time, after he had his stroke. He couldn't move the whole left side of his body. I had to give up university to care for him, seeing as Mum walked out on us."

"Your Mum left?"

"Yes, she ran off with another man; one of our neighbour's husbands. That made the Neighbourhood Watch meetings very awkward,"

"Did you ever see her?" Rose questioned, "After she left?" Jenna shook her head.

"No, but we didn't really need her," Jenna sniffed and rubbed her eyes as Rose stood up and hugged her comfortingly.

A loud bang on the front door made them everyone jump and Rose flew back onto the sofa, grabbing the Doctor's hand; practically cutting off the circulation to it.

Jake opened the door before jumping back beside Mickey again.

"Where the _Hell_ is my daughter?" The Doctor winced.

"Exactly what we need," He groaned, "Jackie," just as she stormed into the room, not even looking at the 'AL-43's' or whatever Jake had called them. She didn't even notice Pete, whose jaw hit the floor the minute he'd heard her voice, she just saw Rose and the Doctor.

"Rose!" She pulled her daughter into a bone crushing hug.

"Mmph," Rose's voice was muffled.

"And _YOU,_" She said releasing Rose and turning on the Doctor, "You keep her all to yourself! She never answers that phone because you're too busy on your glitzy adventures, Oh but I ain't half missed you both though. I bet you've been dying for a cuddle from me," She teased, giving him the same painful hug she'd given Rose.

"Jackie," The Doctor said quietly. She ignored him, continuing to lecture instead.

"Jacks," Her mouth kept moving, but no words escaped her lips as she spun round.

"No one's called me that since…" She gasped, "PETE!" She almost screamed.

"Hiya," He said sheepishly.

"But you're dead…you died 20 years ago."

"Er…this is Pete from…the parallel universe," The Doctor informed them. "In these parallel worlds you the decisions you make effect-"

"Oh, you can shut up," Jackie hissed. He nodded and sat back on the sofa and folding his arms. "You look old," She said awkwardly, and Pete chuckled.

"You don't," He replied and Jackie rolled her eyes, but said nothing, so Pete continued. "You were left on your own, then. Did you never…remarry?" She shook her head, ponytail swishing through the air.

"No, there was never anyone else. Look at me, though. 20 years and I never left that flat, never did anything special." Pete raised his eyebrows.

"You did, you brought her up, Rose Tyler. That's not bad," They both glanced at Rose, but she was looking at the floor, curled up on the sofa. "In my world, they worked, those ideas I had, they made me rich."

"I don't care about that," After a heartbeat she added, "How rich?"

"Very," He replied, smiling.

"I don't care about that," Another pause, "How very?" The Doctor sniggered and Jackie sent him a death glare that made him promptly shut up.

"So…was there a Jackie in this world too?" She asked cautiously.

"Yes, but she…died. She was turned into one of those Cybermen."

"Well, I lost my Pete…and you lost your Jackie…"

"You wouldn't be replacing her, though,"

"Oh no, and you wouldn't replace my Pete," They simultaneously ran at each other, Jackie pouncing on him, kissing him hungrily.

"I'll never understand humans," The Doctor muttered to Rose, forgetting momentarily about her memory loss.

"You're an alien?" She shrieked.

"Well, _technically _yes. I'm a Time Lord,"

"Why are you so surprised, Rose? You knew this?" Jackie asked, frowning.

"About that…" Pete began.

"Rose had her memory wiped," The Doctor braced himself for Jackie's explosive attack.

"WHAT," She released Pete, and glared at him, sitting next to Rose on the sofa. "What do you mean she's 'had her memory wiped'?" Jackie said, doing an impression of the Doctor, which he thought was totally unbecoming.

"She was captured by the Cybermen, along with Pete. They were looking for Parallel Universe Jackie, Pete's wife, and they tricked us, told us that Rose had been turned into a Cyberman. Instead it turns out that they'd copied her memories and wiped her brain."

"But you do remember me right, Rose?" Jackie asked frantically.

"I know you're my mum, but that's only because of what Pete and the Doctor have told me. And I know that Pete's my father, except he's from a parallel universe, and my actual father died when I was six months old." Jackie let out a sob and Rose felt like she'd done something wrong. "I'm sorry," She said.

"No, no, it's not your fault." She soothed, still crying freely. Rose carefully put her arms round her mother's shoulders and Jackie laughed, despite her tears, hugging her back.

"It'll all be okay," Rose whispered.

It was a day of mixed emotions for Jackie. She'd found Pete, and even Rose again, but her daughter had forgotten her, and everyone, and it broke her heart. That night she cuddled up tightly to Pete in their room, relishing in the fact that his warm body was next to hers and trying to think of everything that she'd lost today, as well as the things she'd gained. Jackie leaned over, and kissed Pete lightly on the lips, before burrowing closer into his warmth.

Mickey stayed up till near 3am talking to Jenna in the kitchen. He'd gone down for a glass of water and found her sitting at the table holding a cold cup of tea and gazing at the blank wall. After he'd made himself one and replaced her cold one Mickey sat opposite her and engaged her in easy conversation. Turns out, Jenna was just as lonely as he was, seeing as she only had her father to talk to, although she loved him deeply. She told him of her life, how she was training to be a nurse and about her mum, and he told her about his Nan and his on-off relationship with Rose. They finally went to bed, after Mickey had kissed her on the cheek in a gentlemanly fashion. He'd then spent the rest of the night tossing and turning over his growing feelings for Jenna, and his guilt over feeling them, especially after everything Rose was going through.

Jake spent the majority of the evening going over and cleaning his weapons and pacing his room, trying to think of a way to destroy that zeppelin.

The Doctor and Rose stayed on the sofa for a long time, just talking, like Mickey and Jenna had done. Whilst the Doctor was talking, about anything really, Rose noticed things about him. Like the way he'd get a sparkle in his eye when he was describing something, or how he waved his hands around excitedly when he talked, and how he grinned whenever she smiled at him. He told her all about their past adventures…Cassandra…Slitheen…Gelth…her working as a dinner lady at a school full of aliens. They sounded amazing and wonderful, and it made Rose tremendously sad that she couldn't remember them, no matter how hard she tried. He also told her about the time that he had regenerated (although he had been a bit sketchy about how he absorbed the 'Time Vortex') and how she'd freaked out and accused him of being a Slitheen. Eventually the Doctor realised how late it was and made to leave. He got up off of the sofa, but faltered when he saw Rose's frightened expression.

"Please…" She bit her lip. "I don't want to be alone…" The Doctor sat down beside her and took her hand as he watched her smile, head falling back and soon she was breathing deeply, a sure sign she was asleep. All the tension left her face and she looked so calm. The Doctor finally let his own eyes close and within a couple of seconds he was fast asleep too, still holding her hand.

**A/N: N'aww, nice little fluffy ending. I always thought that there should've been a little scene in the series where they had fallen asleep together, so I invented one for myself! **

**For Pete and Jackie's reunion I used a lot of the script of when they meet in Doomsday, so don't be surprised that it is EXTREMELY similar. **

**I'm quite proud of this chapter, as it's a bit longer than the others. **

**Oh and there's going to be 14 chapters and maybe an epilogue? Please review if you'd like to see one, or just keep reading the story and let me know at the end. Chapter Seven up in the next couple of days. Cheers!**


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: Only a short one today I'm afraid! But there will be a little bit more adventure next chapter. **

**Thanks to everyone that's been reviewing and alerting and even just reading these stories. It makes me happy knowing that people enjoy them. **

**Anyway! On with the chapter! Please tell me what you think! **

**Chapter Seven:**

The Doctor woke early the next morning, seeing as Time Lords don't need a full eight hours like humans. Somehow, they'd shifted so that Rose's head was on his lap. His hand was on her shoulder, still somehow locked with hers. He slowly lifted her head, standing up and lowering it back onto a pillow. Then he walked into the kitchen to find Jenna at the kettle.

"Hi!" He greeted, making her jump sky-high and knock over the tin of teabags onto the floor.

"Oh! You scared me!" She said, bending down to pick up the scattered teabags.

"I'm sorry, I'm not exactly…good at being subtle," The Doctor joked, helping her. When they'd picked up all of the teabags Jenna offered to make him a tea, which he gladly accepted. "What are you doing up so early anyway?" He asked curiously, as it was only 5:30 in the morning. She shrugged.

"When I was in the Cybus building, they woke me up at this time. It's become a habit of mine," The Doctor nodded.

"So, how 'bout I take you home today?" He offered in an attempt to cheer her up.

"Oh, I'd love for you to! But…"

"What is it?"

"I just…c-can I talk to you about something that you promise not to tell anyone else?" It made the Doctor feel like a teenage girl, swapping secrets with her best friend.

"Sure," He said, grinning.

"Well…I was talking to Mickey last night, and I started to…like him," She blushed furiously, and giggled like she was 13. The Doctor half expected her to suggest they do makeovers next.

"Mickey the Idiot?" The Doctor asked in disbelief. At seeing her disgruntled expression he quickly apologised. She just shook her head and continued.

"But the thing is…I don't want to step on anyone's toes, and he said that he was Rose's boyfriend…"

"Well, has he said anything to you about his relationship with her?"

"He hasn't said anything, just that he hopes she'll get her memory back soon,"

"I know for a fact that Rose - before she had her memories wiped - only considered their relationship as casual, and I'm sure she won't mind." Jenna smiled, hugging him suddenly. He chuckled and hugged her back.

"Doctor," She asked, as he picked up his tea. He looked up at her, as she twisted her hands nervously.

"Yes?"

"What…what, if you don't mind me prying, is your relationship with Rose?"

"What do you mean?" He asked, setting his now empty mug on the table.

"I mean, the way you look at her. You're friends; I know that much, but sometimes it seems as if you feel more than that for her. Like you…love her,"

"Like I…like I what?" He stuttered.

"You just seem so…protective over her. Like you'd tear down cities to find anyone who'd ever hurt her," He almost snorted, but held it back. He'd more likely tear down _planets _in that situation. Jenna seemed to take his silence negatively, and became embarrassed.

"Never mind, just ignore me," She said, flustered. "I'll be going back to bed now. There's a bloody great bookcase of books in my room, and I'd like to read as many as I could before I have to leave," She practically ran out of the room, leaving the Doctor leaning heavily against the counter. _No, no, no, no, no. _She was just a friend, a good friend, his best friend. He didn't…he couldn't…there was no way. NO.

He walked or rather staggered, back to the room Rose was sleeping in, trying to shake the revelation from his thoughts. He'd always know he'd had strong feelings for her, but having it spelled out to him made it that much clearer. He loved everything about her, even if she couldn't remember him at all.

The Doctor looked up to realise that Rose was no longer lying there, however, and the Doctor wondered whether Jenna had accidentally made some noise, or she'd just woken up on her own. Then, being away from her for the first time in 24 hours, the Doctor felt angry. Angry that he'd lost _his _Rose, the one that actually remembered him, the one that he'd battled a werewolf with, and the one who'd single-handedly stood up to a Sycoraxic. He wanted revenge. The Cybermen had done this, and he wasn't going to let them get away with it.

"I could really go for a fry up right now," Jake said, voice heavy with sleep as he walked down the stairs, yawning. "Do you reckon Jackie'll moan if I wake her up? Only Pete told me that his Jackie made the best breakfast in London, and I'm sure he'd be up for comparing 'Parallel Universe' Jackie's fry up…" The Doctor groaned and rubbed his eyes as he remembered that Rose's mother had crossed the fabric between realities to find her daughter. It made him slightly jealous, made him wish that he had someone that cared for him like Jackie did, and then he realised that he was being an idiot. He had Rose, and she was definitely enough.

"How did she even get here anyway?"

"That is a thought. I guess that she…" He ran a hand through his hair. Suddenly he got it. "Torchwood," He exclaimed.

"What wood?" Jake asked, taken aback slightly.

"Torchwood Institute formed by Queen Victoria, because of me basically, me and Rose." Jake still looked at him like he was bonkers. "They must've made a connection between Jackie and Rose and Jackie wanted to find her daughter, so they helped her. I think that they must've developed some sort of dimension jumper that allowed her to move between universes. But how did they track where we were?" He frowned. "It might have been the TARDIS, it must've known that Jackie was looking for him and sent out a signal," He shook his head at his ship, but realised it was better that Jackie was with Rose.

"We need to destroy the Zeppelin Jake," The Doctor said suddenly.

Upon seeing the Doctor's face, he immediately recognised the expression upon it, and a grin slowly spread across his face.

"You want to get back at them," He guessed. The Doctor nodded sharply. "Then let's go! Just let me get my gun,"

"Guns don't work on Cybermen, Jake, and even if they did, we aren't going to kill anyone anyway. We're just going to destroy the Zeppelin, _like I said._" The Doctor scolded.

"Yeah, but shooting a gun is a good anger release," He said, actually rubbing his hands in glee.

"Thank God the whole of the human race don't live by that. Think of the mass-murder and accidental shootings." Jake half smiled before climbing back up the stairs. The Doctor only hoped that they managed to sneak out before anyone else got up. Rose would go _nuts _if she found out what they were planning to do, even if she couldn't remember anything.


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: *sigh* Another day another chapter. GREAT, HUH? **

**So, for once I don't have anything to say. Must be coming down with something... **

**Enjoy! **

**Chapter Eight:**

The Doctor and Jake both sat on the sofa, both silent and deep in thought. Every now and again the Doctor would jump up and make promising noises like, "Ah-ha!" and "I've got it!" before frowning, shaking his head and sitting back down again. After the fourth time he'd done this, Jake was on the brink of leaning over and punching him, but he began to talk in rushed tones, and Jake only picked up words like, "deactivated ear plugs," "blend in," and "destroy the zeppelin". When he'd finished he looked at Jake expectantly, grinning manically. Jake just stared at him, one eyebrow raised sceptically. The Doctor sighed dramatically.

"What happened to those ear plugs, the deactivated ones?"

"I think the Cybermen took them when they captured Rose and Pete. I can go and ask-"

"No, don't ask Pete, Mickey or Jenna," The Doctor said. Jake frowned.

"Why not," He asked.

"I don't want them knowing that we're going to destroy the zeppelin,"

"But they'd be great back up!"

"Definitely not," He said resolutely, "They were already trapped in there, prisoners, and I don't want them to have to go back in there. I don't want anyone getting hurt. I'm a bit dubious about taking you along, to be honest."

"Oh, I live for this kind of thing," Jake said, waving his hand. The Doctor sighed and let it go with a final comment.

"But you could get killed-," Jake cut him off.

"Doctor, you know how you feel about Rose, and the anger you felt when you found out they'd wiped her memory?" Jake asked. The Doctor frowned.

"What do you mean 'how I feel about Rose'?"

"It's obvious, written all over your face," He exhaled deeply; "I recognise it because that's how I felt about Ricky." The Doctor realised what he meant and his eyes widened.

"You and Ricky were…together?" He asked. Jake nodded.

"Yeah, he was the best boyfriend I've ever had, and that is why I have to come with you."

"Fine but if something happens or I get hurt just run. Don't wait for me." Jake nodded solemnly.

"So, are there any earplugs?"

"Mrs. Moore had a stash in a box under the…" He trailed off, bending down and reaching under the sofa, producing a small shoebox. He removed the lid and revealed lots of pairs of deactivated earplugs. The Doctor grinned, actually rubbing his hands together in glee.

"Brilliant!"

The majority of the drive was spent with the Doctor gazing out of the window, chin propped in his palm, and Jake tapping his thumbs on the steering wheel in rhythm with the God awful music blaring from the stereo. They had been planning on just leaving the van parked outside the Cybus Industries building and sneaking in with the ear plugs on, but the place was crawling with Cybermen, and they'd have been caught. So instead they just drove through in the van, with the story that they were bringing in some humans that had managed to escape. The Doctor thanked Gallifrey that the Cybermen didn't bother checking, and that the psychic paper worked on them. They then left the truck and blended in with the lines of other humans, slipping on their earplugs, and trying to mimic their faraway gazes. They then pulled out two dimension cannons and found themselves actually in the zeppelin. The Doctor immediately rushed over to the control panel, pressing buttons and pulling levers, much like he did in the TARDIS. Jake decided to look around the room.

"Doctor," He said, his voice shaking. The Doctor looked up.

"What?" He asked, his voice strained,

"T-there's one of them, by the door," He stuttered. The Doctor whipped his head round so fast Jake was surprised his head didn't fall off. He breathed a sigh of relief and chuckled.

"Its fine, this one is dead. Probably a prototype Lumic used, don't worry about it," He went back to messing about with the panel.

The Doctor shouted in frustration and banged the counter angrily, swearing in an alien language that Jake didn't understand.

"What the bleedin' Hell is up with you?" He asked finally.

"It's deadlocked." He complained, pulling out his screwdriver and pointing it at the controls to prove his point.

"Then what do we do?" Jake asked, eyeing the Cyberman in the corner suspiciously. The Doctor began to pace, much like Pete had done in the cells not four days ago. A loud bang made them both jump ten feet high.

"Cybermen," The Doctor whispered. "I'll distract them, you need to try and crash the zeppelin." He hesitated. "And, if – when – you get back to Rose, tell her…tell her I'm sorry. Tell her I'm sorry and that she's so, _so _brilliant.

"I'll tell her," He promised. He stuck his hand out, and the Doctor shook it. "But make sure you don't die, because that would really suck." The Doctor chuckled.

"I'll try,"

**A/N: Next chapter up in a couple of days! **


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: Oh nothing like a bit of 10/Rose at the weekend. **

**Chapter Nine:**

"HERE! HERE! COME AND GET ME!" He shouted, bursting out of the door and dodging past the first Cyberman. Blimey, there were loads of them.

"_Time Lord," _one said as they moved to converge on him.

"Oh you wonderful steel machines you, with observation skills that rival that of a microwave!" _The deadliest microwaves in the universe, _he thought. The Doctor laughed crazily before tearing off down the hallway.

He had no idea where he was going, he just ran through random identical corridors, avoiding as many Cybermen as he could. There were a few close calls, and once he had to actually dodge under one Cyberman's legs to escape. It didn't help his efforts when a loud and extremely annoying alarm reverberated through the building which A) Was a _really irritating _sound and B) Probably alerted all of the Cybermen in the entire city that he was trying not to be zapped.

And then all hope was truly gone, when he ran right into a dead end. How ironic, dead at a dead end, heh. Pounding footsteps nearby told the Doctor that a Cyberman wasn't very far away. It would probably find him within a few minutes. The Doctor sat down on the floor and crossed his legs, running a hand through his tirelessly bedraggled hair. He just looked up at the Cyberman when it turned the corner. It said nothing, which was nice, because that tinny voice really set the Doctor's teeth on edge. There would soon be more, because if all Cybermen thought the same, they knew that he'd been found. The Doctor just hoped that Jake had managed to escape at least. It would be a bonus if he'd destroyed the zeppelin and saved the entire human race. The Doctor stood up almost defiantly, and didn't even flinch when it raised its hand. He just closed his eyes and let his mind flitter to Rose, just her, letting an aura of calm infiltrate his entire body. At least Rose was safe, at least she had her family, at least she was going to live a happy life, but it hurt the Doctor that she would never remember their time together, because it was so _brilliant. _

He imagined that she was there with him as he prepared for death. He almost felt her hand taking his, her slim arms holding him, whispering comforting words to him. Her name flashed repeatedly through his mind.

Rose.

Rose.

Rose.

_Rose._

"Doctor," His eyes flew open as he heard _her _voice. He didn't realise his imagination was that good. But there she was standing behind the Cyberman, in black trousers and that wonderful blue leather jacket, hair pulled back into a loose ponytail, tear streaks down her face.

Quickly, too quickly for the Cyberman's slow reactions, he turned round. And before the Doctor could say or do anything, a bright bolt shot from its finger, hitting her square in the chest. She flew backwards, slumping against the wall, her head lolling forward.

Time had always been the Doctor's sole constant companion throughout his 900 years, and they had always been enemies. And because of that, Time liked to tease him, torture him, and it seemed that this was one of those times, because Time ground to a halt when he watched Rose stop moving, her chest stop rising and falling, her eyes fluttering closed. That moment seemed to go on for an eternity, as the Doctor felt entire universes crash and burn around him as he stared at her.

Screaming was echoing through his head, pain and sorrow, but it was only inside him. No one else could hear it, only him. Nearly a century long of loss and loneliness fell onto him, and the Doctor felt as if his legs couldn't hold his weight, like gravity's hold on him had strengthened.

Slowly, the sadness and grief was overtaken by the anger, a spark that turned into a raging fire, consuming him, and all he saw was red.

"ROSE!" He roared. Pete ran around the corner and shot the Cyberman with a large gun. It jerked around before falling to the floor. The Doctor crouched down beside Rose, refusing to believe that she was really dead. He reached out a shaking hand and pressed it to her neck, begging to feel a steady pulse under her skin. He waited, and he waited, and he waited some more, but there was nothing. He would've waited for all eternity, just holding two fingers to her neck, searching for some sing of life.

"Is she…?" Pete trailed off in a horrified voice. The Doctor swallowed.

"Yeah," He whispered, sitting down on the floor beside her, pulling Rose to him and burying his face in her hair, her beautiful golden hair. He clutched her hoodie tightly, closing his eyes and willing time to reverse, so that he could save her.

"I'm sorry," He murmured to her, kissing her forehead. "She wasn't even supposed to be here!" He said to Pete.

"She made us come with her," Pete said, wiping away the tears that fell from his eyes like they were simply raindrops running down his face after a long walk.

"How did she even know?" He hissed.

"Jake, he told her. He said that he didn't want her to worry too much, and that it was better if she knew where you were," The Doctor said nothing, but his hold on Rose tightened slightly.

"I better go find Jackie," Pete said, and after an internal debate, he stepped forward and brushed Rose's hair with his fingertips. He stared at her for a moment before leaving.

The Doctor didn't know for how long he held her, the planet could've imploded and he wouldn't have noticed, he'd just hold Rose through the wreckage, falling deeper and deeper into an eternal depression.

He knew he never could, however, because if he gave up Rose would never forgive him. She'd probably whack him round the head and scold him for even considering it. He'd spent a long time saving planets, but who was there to save him?

"You have nothing to be sorry for," The Doctor let out a very girlish and un-Oncoming Storm-like of him, as Rose opened her eyes and grinned at him.

**A/N: I know you guys have probably mentally throttled me a thousand times for that cliffhanger-y ending, so I'll try to post another chapter either later today or tomorrow. **


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: Two chapters in one day! I'm just really eager to post on this story! **

**Chapter Ten:**

"How the- What the-?" The Doctor stuttered almost incoherently, releasing Rose and standing up, staring at her, open-mouthed. "You _died_; I watched you get shot by that Cyberman,"

"I don't know how-" Suddenly she arched her back and let out an ear splitting scream. She gripped her head; her eyes squeezed shut in pain. The Doctor immediately rushed over, unsure what to do.

Different scattered memories rushed through Rose's mind, barely halting as she tried to take them all in. Different birthdays and Christmases over the years, playing round the estate with Mickey, the Doctor gripping her hand and telling her to run in the basement, when all of the mannequins came to life, him sending her away in the TARDIS. There'd always been a gap in her memory about what had happened between her absorbing the Time Vortex and waking up on the TARDIS floor, the Doctor with his big ears and his leather jacket telling her she was brilliant and spewing nonsense about 'Barcelona the planet', but that gap was gone now, and she could see everything. Finally, the feeling that her brain was being pulled apart by two Krillitane disappeared, and she remembered everything. Rose looked up at the Doctor with tears in her eyes.

"What is it, are you okay?" The Doctor asked worriedly.

"You absorbed the Time Vortex," She said dazedly. "When I looked into the TARDIS, you took it from me and saved my life, even though you knew you'd have to regenerate if you did. You were always so afraid of regeneration, because you didn't want to change, and you did that, for me." The Doctor frowned.

"You shouldn't remember that,"

"I think that when that Cyberman shot me, it sparked somethin' in my brain and I could remember everything. I guess that once you open the flood barriers, everything gets through," She ran at him, sliding her arms around his neck and holding him tightly. The Doctor closed his eyes, relishing in the familiarity. Despite everything, his heart swelled with one thought. Rose remembered him, she remembered everything they'd done together, and best of all; _Rose was still alive. _If she had died he would've had to live with that, that he'd extinguished her life, that it was his fault. The Doctor gripped her even tighter, burying his face in the crook of her neck.

"I can't believe you'd do that for me. And you even stayed with me when I forgot everything," She was crying freely now.

"Of course I did," The Doctor said affectionately, burying his face in her shoulder.

"How did you even survive?" He mused, not loosening his grip on Rose.

"I have no idea,"

"But…unless! The residual energy left over when you absorbed the Time Vortex hibernated in your mind, only to be sparked off by the shot of electricity through the synapses in your brain, opening your memories again!" He punched his fist in the air. "Ha!" Rose pulled her head away from his shoulder to smile at him, looking up at him slightly. Then their heads slowly moved closer until their eyes blurred. Rose's breathing increased slightly, as a light blush spread across her cheeks.

"ROSE MARION TYLER!" They jerked apart just as Jackie, Pete and Mickey burst into the room. Jackie immediately swept her daughter up into a hug and glared at Pete.

"You told me she'd hurt 'erself!" She said angrily. Pete just stared at Rose, shaking slightly. Rose shook her head over Jackie's shoulder, mouthing 'I'll tell you later'.

Mickey was the next to hug her, grinning wildly. Rose touched his cheek tenderly, making the Doctor's blood boil. She leaned over and whispered something in his ear, and his eyes widened as he looked at her.

"Are you sure?" He asked. She nodded before letting him go. He squeezed her hand before running out of the room. The Doctor sent her a questioning look, but she shook her head.

A loud explosion, followed by other smaller bangs and more blasts shook the whole building and Rose immediately grabbed the Doctor's hand – it had become something of a reflex.

"What the bloody 'ell was that?" Jackie screeched, adjusting her ponytail.

"Jake must've destroyed the zeppelin!" The Doctor sang joyously, running off down the hallway, back towards the zeppelin. Smoke was billowing out of the roof, and the Doctor's smile faded as they entered a large warehouse full of Cybermen clutching their heads and crying out in robotic voices.

"I'm so sorry," He said sorrowfully, as all around him the Cybermen realised what they'd done, clutching their heads and crying. Rose stood closer into his side and Jackie gasped behind them.

"What's happening to them?" She asked disgustedly.

"There was a control panel in the zeppelin, and when Jake destroyed it, the emotional inhibitors failed and they realised what they'd done to their own race. It's killing them." The Doctor explained sadly.

-:-

The next morning the Doctor was sat on the sofa, drinking a cup of tea that Jackie had altogether forced into his hand and feeling very human when Jenna skipped in, smiling happily. Since she'd been free, she'd been a lot more positive, and the Doctor found that he'd really liked her.

"Hiya," She sang, "I was wondering…" She said hesitantly. The Doctor looked at her, thankful for a chance to set the now lukewarm tea on the very domestic coffee table.

"…If I'd take you back to your Dad?" He finished for her. She blushed and nodded slightly.

"Yeah,"

"Sure! I've missed the ol' TARDIS anyway,"

"Oh God, you're going to stroke bits of the TARDIS again, aren't you?" They both looked up to see Rose leaning against the doorway, grinning, dressed in a light blue collared shirt and black flare suit trousers.

"I do not," The Doctor replied indignantly, Jenna was already laughing hard.

-:-

Rose, Mickey, the Doctor and Jenna all walked through London town, Rose and Jenna chatting away, and Mickey and the Doctor bickering as they always did. It was a beautiful day, contrasting to the horrors of the weeks before. Zeppelins still filled the skies, but they were more of an asset to London than a weakness. When they were halfway to where the TARDIS was 'parked' the Doctor watched Rose lean her head closer to Jenna's as they began whispering privately. He wondered what they were talking about.

They were so deep in conversation that Rose didn't realise that there was someone walking directly in her path until she actually collided with him.

"Oh! I'm sorry," Rose apologised, straightening her clothes.

"No problem, my fault. I weren't looking properly." He looked up and his mouth fell open, at the same time as Rose's did.

"Jimmy," She breathed.

**A/N: I had hoped that this story would save me from people wanting to punch me for my cliffhanger-y endings, but it's like I can't stop. Plus, don't act like you don't enjoy the suspense.**

**I always wanted to know more about what happened with Jimmy and Rose when she was younger, and I was really disappointed that the TV series never went into more detail, so I decided to create a little back-story of my own. (You'll find out more about Jimmy and their relationship next chapter.) **

**I'll try to post tomorrow, I really will! **


	11. Chapter 11

******A/N: This one is a bit longer than the last, but not really a cliffhanger-y ending. I'm not sure if that's good or bad..**

**Oh well! **

**Enjoy! **

**Chapter Eleven:**

Something in the air changed the minute she whispered his name. Mickey stepped closer to Rose, sending a smile to Jenna, whereas Rose just stood as if she was in a trance. The cogs in the Doctor's magnificent (if he did say so himself) Time Lord Mind whirred, as he realised that this was _the_ Jimmy. The very same Jimmy that Rose had fallen in love with, who she'd left school for and had her heart broken by.

It was disappointing to the Doctor to see that Jimmy didn't have bad teeth, a crooked nose and greasy hair as the he had imagined. Instead Jimmy was a man with short hair, cropped close to his skull, and large muscles. He had a tattoo on his arm in curly writing that read: '_The sky is the limit'. _The Doctor almost snorted at this, seeing as he knew this was absurd, seeing as he'd travelled in space and even time. He desperately wanted to point this out, but Rose might hit him, and she was amazingly strong for her size.

"I-I can't believe 'ow different you look," Jimmy's voice was gruff with surprise. "'t's been years,"

"I hadn't really noticed. I can't say I missed you," Rose said shortly.

"Guess I deserved that," Jimmy looked over Rose's shoulder at Mickey. "'Ey Mickey. 'Ow's life been?"

"This an' that," Mickey was glaring at Jimmy with more hostility than the Doctor had ever seen.

"Aren't you going to introduce us?" The Doctor said gleefully, swiftly dissipating the tension.

"Oh, yeah, this is the Doctor, and Jenna. They're our friends," Rose explained.

"Hi," Jenna said, waving slightly.

"Hey there," He greeted.

"You're out of prison then?" Mickey asked angrily.

"Yeah I got out early for good behaviour." He looked at the ground, "So, where you guys off to?"

"Ooh, bit of shopping, bit of lunch, usual Saturday," The Doctor answered, shoving his hands in his pockets and grinning easily, although just looking at the man who had caused Rose so much pain made him feel physically sick. He slid his hand into Rose's, and it felt cold. This movement did not escape Jimmy's notice.

"Sounds…er…nice," He murmured.

"Well, we'll be off then! Nice meeting you!" The Doctor said nodding his head in the direction they were headed.

"Of course, sorry, can I just-" He hesitated for a moment, wondering if he should go on, but he did anyway, "Rose, can I just…talk to you for a sec? Alone?"

"Yeah," She said, letting go of the Doctor's hand and sending him a smile before following Jimmy down the road a little bit.

"What do you want?" Rose asked in a tone full of hostility.

"Look, I just wanted to say, I'm sorry. Sorry for everythin'. An' I was wonderin'…if maybe…we could start again? Go for a drink sometime?" Rose sighed and shook her head.

"Jimmy, I'm sorry to. It wasn't your entire fault, I acted too quickly. I left school, and I moved in with you after just six months. But I just can't do it again. You hurt me too much," _Not to mention I travel through time, and my long distance relationship with Mickey didn't work out, so I doubt ours will, unless you don't mind me being centuries away with a strange alien with great hair dressed in a pinstripe suit, _she thought, although he'd probably have her committed her to an asylum if she actually voiced this particular thought.

"I wasn't really expecting anything different," He said truthfully. Suddenly he stepped forward and hugged her. Rose patted his back awkwardly and blushed lightly. He released her and, without a word, they walked back to Mickey, Jenna and the Doctor. The Doctor looked positively furious, obviously his alien hearing had heard them. He's got the hearing of a bloody dog's.

"I'll be off then," Jimmy said with a forced optimism. "Bye!" He walked off hastily; probably afraid that the Doctor would kill him with the glares he was sending his way.

"What did he say to you?" Mickey demanded the minute Jimmy was out of earshot.

"None of your business, Mickey Smith," Rose said, sounding scarily like her mother.

"Who was that?" Jenna asked.

As Rose explained who exactly Jimmy was, they continued to walk. When the Doctor saw the TARDIS he immediately grabbed Rose's hand and ran towards her, laughing happily. He rested a hand on the blue door of the TARDIS and smiled fondly, inserting his key into the lock.

"Ah, I've missed the TARDIS," Rose said as Jenna and Mickey caught up.

"How did you travel through time and space in a police box?" Jenna asked, raising her eyebrows. Mickey just rolled his eyes.

"You'll see," Rose said gleefully as the Doctor pushed the door open, gesturing for Jenna to go in first.

"OH MY GOD," Rose and the Doctor chuckled at each as her voice echoed through the TARDIS.

"Sometimes I think you enjoy this," Mickey muttered.

"Oh no," The Doctor said sarcastically. "It's _awful." _

"B-but…it's bigger on the inside! How is that possible?" Jenna asked disbelievingly, running to the back of the TARDIS and running her hands over the panels.

Everyone piled into the TARDIS, the Doctor running up to her control panel and stroking the time rotor. Rose smiled at Jenna, mouthing '_told you'. _

"So, ready to go home then?" The Doctor asked, skipping around to the other side of the time vortex and cranking a lever.

"Oh yes!" Jenna said excitedly, her brown eyes shining with tears as she gripped Mickey's arm. The Doctor flicked a switch as Jenna told him her father's address.

"Off we go then, allons-y!"

As Mickey and Jenna talked about the TARDIS, what it did, where they went in it and things like that, the Doctor sat next to Rose on the jumper seat and smiled at her.

"Are you okay?" He asked gently.

"Yeah, I'm fine. It was just weird seeing Jimmy again,"

"What did he say to you?"

"He asked me out, actually," She chuckled, but frowned at the Doctor's expression. "What?"

"You didn't say yes, did you?" He asked, a face like thunder,"

"No. I didn't. I've got my hands full with you," She squeezed his hand.


	12. Chapter 12

******So I haven't had much of a chance to upload on this story recently, which is irritating. Also there will be about two/three more chapters and _maybe _an epilogue? **

**Enjoy! **

**Chapter Twelve:**

The TARIS materialised on the corner of a cosy looking road called Millers Close. It was early on a Sunday, so not many people were walking about, except for an old lady wandering down the road with a small trolley.

"Bleedin' 'ell, wot's a police box then?" She asked as she watched four people leave it, one by one. "Must be a bi' of a squeeze," She tried to look behind them, but the Doctor closed the door.

"We manage," He replied kindly.

"Jus' on me way to get me mornin' paper," She continued, "Me Harold always used to insist we get the mornin' paper. 'Ad to keep up with the news, 'Joyce, the world's always changin' and we've gotta keep up with it,' he'd say," She chuckled as she remembered.

"He sounded like a smart man," Rose said softly.

"Oh 'e was. Wonderful man 'e was, 'course Harold's dead now; his 'eart stopped when 'e was asleep in his favourite chair, quiet way to go. An' my Harold was a quiet man, bless 'im. Anyways, nice chattin' with ya, but I'd best be off now. Gotta feed the cats," She wandered off, nodding at the four before continuing on her way.

The run in with Joyce had struck a chord with Rose, because talking to her had made Rose realise something. That would never be her. She'd never grow old with a 'Harold' of her own, reminiscing about their lives together, because it had hit Rose in the past couple of days that she wasn't aging. It made sense, seeing as Jack didn't age, but she'd always be immortal. She was going to have to watch Jackie and Pete and Mickey grow older while she stayed the same. She was hoping that she could continue travelling the stars with the Doctor, but she didn't hold out much hope, because he'd probably get bored of her and leave her behind, and then what? She would have to live forever, always hiding, never getting close to anyone because they'd grow old and die, or they'd get suspicious at her surprising lack of wrinkles and the excuse "L' Oréal's day cream works wonders" would only hold for so long before she had to move on again; a different town, a different country.

And then, Rose knew who she reminded herself of. The Lone Traveller, the Last of his Kind, the Doctor of Gallifrey. He'd been alone for centuries, losing companion after companion, always moving on. But maybe he enjoyed finding someone new, maybe he got bored if he spent too much time with her.

Rose shook herself from her depressing thoughts as Jenna led them up a path towards a door with peeling brown paint. The grass in the front garden was overgrown, but there were flowerbeds, as if someone had been growing magnolias in an attempt to brighten it up, but they were overrun with weeds now, and it didn't look like anyone had paid attention to it in years.

"I've been meaning to get a gardener in, and a painter, but we've been a bit strapped for cash," Jenna informed them as she pushed open the front door.

"Dad, are you here?" She called frantically.

"I-I'm in here, sweetheart," Came a weak voice from the living room. Jenna immediately darted in there.

"I've been so worried! I- what is she doing here?" Jenna was standing with her arms folded as the others walked into the room. An elderly man, who Rose presumed was Jenna's father. He had grey hair, slicked back against his head and a pair of reading glasses perched on his nose. Rose thought he looked a little bit like Dumbledore after a trip to the hairdressers. Next to him was a woman who looked around mid fifties with brown eyes and wavy blonde hair, like Jenna's and Rose gasped.

It was her mother.

The Doctor and Mickey seemed to have come to the same conclusion, as Mickey stepped forward and weaved his fingers through Jenna's. The Doctor saw Rose smile slightly at this comforting gesture.

"Jenna, I'm so glad you're alive," Her father said, standing up shakily and wrapping her arms around her.

"Dad," She greeted, hugging him back, not taking her eyes of off her mother, who just sat there; staring at the fraying carpet.

"I think…we should leave," The Doctor whispered to Rose.

"She needs someone here." She replied quietly.

"I'll stay," Mickey offered, as Jenna's father (Robert, as he introduced himself) tried to persuade Jenna to listen to her.

"I don't even want to look at her any more. She _left _us Dad,"

"Yes, but she came back,"

"Pfft, yeah, she probably got dumped by her toy-boy," Rose had never seen Jenna so angry, so _hostile. _She may have only known the girl for a few weeks, but Jenna had to be one of the calmest person she'd ever met.

"Are you sure?" The Doctor asked. Mickey nodded, practically shooing them out. Rose sent Jenna a smile before they left.

"We'll meet you back at the TARDIS," The Doctor told them as they closed the door behind them.

The sun had risen further in the sky, making it warmer, and it was a pleasant walk back to the TARDIS. Once the Doctor had unlocked and pushed open the door, they sat on the jumper seat.

"So!" The Doctor started. "What was Mick-Mick-Mickety talking to you about the other day?" He asked casually, and Rose burst out laughing.

"What?" He asked, confused. She just carried on laughing, "_What?_" She didn't stop, bending over and rested her head on her knees. "What?" He asked indignantly.

"I _knew _you were going to ask that. Nothing escapes your notice, Doctor," She sighed. "We were talking about the fact that we'd both moved on, and it was better if we were just friends. I told him that I wanted him to pursue a relationship - or whatever he wanted – with Jenna,"

"Ah," He said simply. He was quiet for a few moments (unusual for him) before he spoke again.

"Why did you do it?"

"Because he obviously liked Jenna-," She said, confused.

"No, no, I mean why did you jump in front of that shot by the Cyberman?"

"Because you were going to die," She said, picking at the material on the seat.

"I sent you away in the TARDIS, though. I told you to forget about me,"

"I couldn't leave you behind," Rose blushed. "Why are we even arguing about this?"

"So that if we're put in that position again I want to know that you'll listen to me and you won't put yourself in danger,"

"I'd never do that. I'd never be able to forget about you,"

"So what are you going to do if I die?" He asked angrily.

"I'd never leave you!" Rose protested.

"But one day you might have to!" The Doctor stood up and strode to the control panel, fiddling with the monitor.

"Why, are you planning on leaving me then?" She asked, following him and standing opposite the Doctor with her arms folded.

"No!" He looked up, eyes blazing, "But I'd never want you to waste your life waiting for me, if I don't come back!"

"What could I do, Doctor? I'm not going to grow old, I'll never die," His eyes widened, but she continued, "Yeah I worked it out. Don't worry about letting me know that I'm immortal or anything," She said sarcastically.

"Rose…"

"That I was going to have to watch my whole family grow older? That I was going to lose almost everyone that I've ever loved?" She yelled as a tear ran down her cheek, and she impatiently brushed it away.

"I'M SORRY! I'M SORRY I COULDN'T PROTECT YOU," He shouted back before he gripped her hand and tugged her body so that it collided with his, making her blush. Their chests rose and fell almost in sync as they both breathed heavily. There was a moment of silence, where they just stared at each other. You could've cut the sexual tension in the air with a knife – although it would be pretty weird to walk around swishing a knife. Especially if there were two people about to…do whatever they were going to do.

It was almost a surprise when the Doctor's lips suddenly crushed hers, seeing as Rose had been lost in her thoughts about cutting a knife through thin air. She froze for a moment, until the Doctor began to pull away, obviously thinking he'd made a mistake, but Rose locked her hands at the nape of his neck, holding his face to hers. He grunted in surprise, but didn't let go of her, moving his hands to her waist. He moved her backwards, until Rose's back was against one of the pillars in the TARDIS, their hands sliding all over one another in pure, unbridled passion.

The Doctor couldn't believe what was happening. One minute he was arguing with Rose and the next he'd literally jumped her. He'd watched her lips as she had fought with him and he just couldn't resist. She smelled _amazing, _like strawberries, and he revelled in it.

"Oh!" A small squeal made them both separate, as Jenna closed the TARDIS door. The pair had been so enveloped in their kiss that they hadn't heard her come in.

"I-I came to see if you guys wanted to go get dinner,"

"Sure, sure," Rose said shakily, smoothing her clothes. The Doctor just straightened his tie and swallowed.

"Um, how'd it go with your Mum?" Rose continued.

"She apologised for leaving us, and we talked it out, but I'm not sure if I can forgive her just yet," Rose nodded reassuringly and stood up, walking over to her and linking her arm though Jenna's.

"Fair enough, let's go eat. I'm starving," The Doctor was still stood transfixed, by the control panel.

"Coming, Doctor?" Rose asked, jerking him out of his reverie.

"Absolutely," He said with false enthusiasm that everyone could see

**A/N: Next chapter uploaded...oooh maybe tomorrow?**

**One last thing, I was a bit disappointed that there were no reviews on the last chapter. Don't get me wrong, I really appreciate you guys taking the time to read my stories, but I would love at least one, just telling me how you thought the chapter went or any mistakes, or just one word! **

**Thanks! **


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N: I am so happy right now, I got two reviews on the last chapter, and lots of people have favourited and alerted this story. At risk of sounding mushy, it means a lot. And even if you have just read this story, I can't express my gratitude. **

**Anyway, new chapter! I'm afraid it's not all rainbows and sunshine _just_ yet, but _the course of true love never did run smooth._**

**I know you guys probably want me to shut up so that you can read, but just to let you know, this is the second to last chapter! I may do a nice little fluffy epilogue, but only if people want it, so please let me know if you do. **

**Chapter Thirteen:**

Mickey was waiting outside, leaning against the lamppost.

"Alright?" He asked as they emerged.

"Yep," Rose breathed. Jenna nodded.

"Sure?" He asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Yep," She repeated.

"Let's go then!" The Doctor said, locking the TARDIS.

"What shall we eat then?" Jenna asked, and Rose silently thanked her for not telling Mickey about what she'd just seen.

"How 'bout Chinese, it's been ages since I've had one!" Rose said. Everyone murmured their agreement, but Mickey noticed that Rose and the Doctor were avoiding eye contact, and it wasn't hard to guess why.

They found a lovely little restaurant called Jade Garden, just a ten minute walk away from the TARDIS. It was a nice atmosphere, with fantastic artwork and big golden dragons hanging on the walls. They were seated very quickly, and the restaurant was not too full. Jenna, being the wonderful human being she was, sat next to Rose, sensing that there would be a very awkward atmosphere anyway, and making them sit together would make the problem worse. Mickey, however, unknown to the palpable tension, sat opposite Jenna meaning that Rose and the Doctor were opposite. They all buried their noses in the menus, as Mickey and Jenna tried to keep up conversation.

"Oh, the chicken satay might be nice," Jenna commented casually.

The meal had to be one of the most awkward meals that Rose had ever sat through. She and the Doctor barely said two words; Rose just stared at the red tablecloth.

As they walked back to the TARDIS, the Doctor hung back and walked in time with Rose.

"Can I talk to you?" He asked quietly.

"Oh Mickey, look at these shoes!" Jenna called suddenly, pulling him in the direction of a nearby shop window.

"What do you want?" Rose still didn't look at him.

"Look, about that kiss…"

"You are not going to feed me some rubbish about 'how it was a mistake and that we should just forget about it'," By the Doctor's expression, that was exactly what he was going to say. She shook her head.

"Brilliant, _brilliant, _I knew it. I understood why, before. It was because I was going to get old and die, and you didn't want to get that attached and then lose me, but now I'm starting to think it's because you don't actually feel for me in that way," She frowned and folded her arms.

"No, it's just-" Rose held up a hand and stopped him.

"No, I'm sick of dancing around each other all the time, I just want you to stop running and just accept it, because I'm not going to run off because of whatever you've done in the past," She noticed that Jenna and Mickey were walking back over.

"I'm going to go for a walk, I'll see you back at the TARDIS later," She said, turning on her heel and walking away.

"Where's Rose going?" Jenna asked as they walked up to the Doctor.

"I dunno, but I think I just made a very big mistake," The Doctor said, running a hand through his hair.

-:-

Rose walked along the Thames, admiring how nice the sunset looked against the Big Ben. She wandered aimlessly, breathing in the fresh air and remembering her time here with the Doctor, before he'd regenerated. She'd loved him then, and she still loved him now. Even though she was pretty sure that he didn't reciprocate her feelings. He had kissed her though, but that could possibly have been because he was lonely. He'd always been lonely; The Lone Wanderer.

Rose was sat on the wall, watching the water ripple as the ducks swam around when a hand suddenly clapped over her mouth. She struggled and cried out, but it was muffled, and there was no one around. Something was sprayed in her face and she lost consciousness.

-:-

The Doctor paced the TARDIS impatiently, muttering angrily. It had been exactly six hours and 34 minutes since Rose had left him. He hadn't expected her to be out this long, and he felt that something wasn't right.

"She's probably gone back to Jackie's," Mickey said, sat with Jenna on the jumper seat, watching the man with erratic hair dressed in a pinstripe suit as he walked back and forth.

"No, I've rung Jackie. She isn't there, and she isn't answering her phone,"

"Maybe she just needs some time alone,"

"She's had six hours!" The Doctor protested. "Did she say anything about where she was going?"

"I sent her a text, just after she left, to check that she was okay," Mickey said, "But she just said she was going to a 'huge, metal, circular structure'." The Doctor continued pacing, tapping his finger against his lips.

"A huge, metal circular structure…a huge…metal…"

"…Circular structure, yeah you said," Jenna said. The Doctor ignored her.

"Metal…circular…" It hit him, like a huge asteroid to the side of the TARDIS. "Oh! Oh! _Oh_! I know where she went!" He sprinted out of the TARDIS and towards the Thames River.

"Doctor, Doctor where are you going?" Jenna called as she and Mickey ran after him.

-:-

Rose groaned as she slowly woke up. Her muscles ached and her head hurt. She tried to move her arms, but found she couldn't. She tried to move her legs, and found they wouldn't move either. Rose opened her eyes and squinted against the bright light of the completely white room. She felt as if she was in some sort of asylum. Rose was lying on a very thin chair, that resembled a dentist's chair, but she couldn't move at all. She began to cry out, as the pain intensified in her body.

"Don't struggle, it'll hurt more," A voice said from behind her, a female voice.

"Why can't I move?"

"I gave you a pill that paralyses you. That's why it hurts so much to move,"

"Where am I?" She demanded.

"Our ship," Rose tried to twist her head, to no avail. A sharp stabbing pain shot up her neck.

"I told you, _don't struggle._" The voice scolded. Rose heard footsteps and a black clad woman in a tight black dress. She looked a little bit like a dominatrix, if she was honest. The woman had knee high black boots and her blonde hair was pulled back into a tight ponytail. She had thick eyeliner and mascara on, and blood red lipstick. She smiled, revealing pearly white teeth.

"Why am I here?" She asked.

"You are here, Rose Tyler, because of your relationship with the Time Lord," She answered, folding her arms.

"What? We don't even have a 'relationship'!" She said. "How do you even know my name?"

"We've been watching you for a while. Also, you have traces of his DNA around your mouth, indicating that you have kissed recently," Rose blushed.

"Yeah, well, that was a mistake…" She trailed off.

"But you have strong feelings for him, you love him," The woman stated.

"Yeah, but he doesn't feel the same for me," She muttered to herself. "That still doesn't explain why you kidnapped me,"

"Because we want the Time Lord's brain, and his regeneration energy,"

"And I'm here because…?"

"He cares deeply about you - more than you think. So I had the wonderful idea of kidnapping you and using you as a kind of ransom. A swap, if you will. Him for you,"

"I don't want him to do that," Rose said.

"Ah, but aren't you…unable to die, like him?" Rose tensed as the woman's smile widened.

"Yes, I know a lot about you, little human,"

"What are you?" Rose asked, ignoring her.

"I am from the species Mirsux, from the planet Mirsuxus,"

"Oh! The Doctor told me about them, ages ago. The Mirsux…you're power hungry. You look exactly like humans, but your spit is acidic," She said, scouring her memory for what he'd said.

"You clever girly, that was an accurate description." She picked a bit of non-existent fluff off of her dress. "So! The plan is, we torture you until he comes to get you,"

"Torture me?" Rose tried to stop her voice from shaking as the Mirsux grinned sadistically.

"Oh yes. It's the only way we can guarantee he gets here quickly," The Mirsux sauntered over to her and opened her mouth casually. A single droplet fell from her lips and landed on Rose's forearm. It hissed and went through her skin. She screamed a piercing scream, and it echoed around the room. The pain slowly faded into a dull throb. Through teary eyes Rose saw the Mirsux reached down her top and pulled out a small dagger. Without a word she sliced the blade across Rose's palm, and she heard the drip of her blood hitting the floor. It was a small incision, but it seemed to encourage the alien to go further.

"S-stop," Rose whispered. She felt the knife trail up her forearm and towards her bicep. The Mirsux unzipped her hoodie and took it off of her, Rose's arms hanging loosely like a rag doll's arms. Her white polo shirt was cut open and she was left in a white vest and her bra. Rose felt the blade snake across her collarbone as it pressed deeper. The Mirsux slit a diagonal cut down her chest, before doing two on her arms – one on each bicep. She then sliced a cross on Rose's stomach, and she began to fell dizzy with blood loss.

"Please…" She slurred as her eyesight faded in and out. Her last memory was of the Mirsux leaning above her, letting another globule of saliva fall onto her cheek, her pained shouts going quieter as she lost consciousness again.

-:-

The Doctor was sprinting along the Thames when all of a sudden his sonic screwdriver began to beep. He reached into his suit pocket and pulled it out. He pressed the button and a black and white image materialised in front of him. A woman was smiling at him.

"Hello!" She cooed. "The Doctor, I presume?" He frowned, "I've been waiting _centuries_ to meet you," She purred.

"Who are you?"

"Oh, I'm a Mirsux. My full name is Eridani Denebola Iota Mirsux. But it's a bit of a mouthful. You can call me Eri."

"Uh, hello Eri, but um, why are you on an image projected by my sonic screwdriver?" He asked.

"I think I may have something that you want…" She grinned and reached forward, obviously taking the camera into her hands. The Doctor almost dropped the sonic screwdriver in shock. Rose was lying on a chair that looked like it used to be white, but was now stained with blood. She had cuts all over her body and even on that grainy image the Doctor could see that acid, probably the Mirsux saliva.

"Rose," He whispered.

"I was hoping you'd have that sort of reaction," Eri's voice said.

"What have you done to her?" The Doctor said, practically shaking with rage.

"It was just some surgery…physical alteration. Keep your suit on Time Lord! You can easily save her! Just find us, and give yourself up for her, we'll be waiting." The image disappeared, and the glow from the Doctor's sonic screwdriver faded.

"There you are! Bloody 'ell you can't half run fast!" Jenna said as they caught up with the Doctor, who was staring at the Thames with a horrified expression on his face.

"Oh God, you've gone all funny again, like you did in the TARDIS," Jenna muttered, waving a hand in front of his face.

"She's got Rose," He whispered.

"Who's got Rose?" Mickey asked; his voice already laced with worry.

"An alien species called the Mirsux. They want me because of my 'Time Lord Energy', so they took Rose, because they knew I would do anything to get her back," He tugged at his ear lobe, gritting his teeth. "She's going to kill her if I don't show up."

"B-but she's innocent,"

"It doesn't matter to the Mirsux. They have no conscience. In fact, they have the opposite. They revel in torture, and death. But it's worse, because Rose can't die. So, Eri's going to kill her repeatedly," Mickey's mouth hung open.

"What do you mean she 'can't die'?" He stuttered.

"I forgot you didn't know," The Doctor rubbed his eyes. "Look, I'm sorry Mickey, I'll have to explain it to you later," The Doctor walked further up the Thames, setting the sonic screwdriver to setting 9456 and pressing the button repeatedly, waving it about.

"Wait! Wait!" Jenna called, "What are you doing?"

"I have a tracker setting on my screwdriver. Rose was teleported from her," He sniffed the air. "A gas was used to knock her out…one the Mirsux invented…and then she was teleported. I can track the rift in the air that it created, before it fades. If I can just…" He moved the screwdriver to the right slightly and it beeped furiously. "Ah ha," He yelled triumphantly before turning to Mickey and Jenna.

"Right, you two, I need you to tell Jackie what's going on. I…probably won't return, but Rose will. She'll have my sonic screwdriver, so she can get back,"

"But…where are you going?" Jenna asked.

"No idea. To rescue Rose. Beyond that, I'm clueless!" He shoved his hands in his pockets, "So, I'll be going then," He said. Jenna launched herself at him, hugging him with a ferocity that almost matched Jackie's. Mickey stuck out his hand.

"Goodbye Doctor. If you don't save Rose, I'll definitely come after you. I might crush you with your own TARDIS." He smirked, as the Doctor reached out and shook his hand.

Just as the Doctor pressed the button on his sonic screwdriver - setting 2445 - Jenna gripped his hand and Mickey gripped hers.

"Oi!" The Doctor yelled as they materialised in a white corridor.

"Oh come on, you didn't really think we were going to let you go without us?" Jenna said, chuckling.

"A little warning would've been nice!" He moaned.

"Yeah, but you'd have never let us tag along,"

"Because you could get killed,"

"Rose is just as much our friend as she is yours, so it's only fair that we're part of the rescue mission," Mickey reasoned.

"Do my ears deceive me? Doctor, you got here so quickly! And you brought friends! Wonderful!" Eri appeared out of the single door at the end of the corridor. "This is going to be _great._" She sang.

**A/N: ...I just realised, that is a rather abrupt ending. Still next chapter uploaded soon! **


	14. Chapter 14

******A/N: EEEK! LAST CHAPTER EVERYONE! I was going to wait a couple of days, but I finished editing it and just wanted to get it up. I've started working on an epilogue, but I'm not sure if I'll put it up yet...**

**Chapter Fourteen: **

Eri lead them into the room, the one that Doctor recognised from the image she'd sent him. Rose was still lying on the chair, she had more cuts and a few bruises that hadn't shown up before. Evi had left her face alone, possibly just to torment him further, seeing the pain etched into her features.

"Right, you know the bargain. Me for her, so let Rose go," The Doctor said. Evi sighed dramatically.

"Fine…it'll be a shame to lose my little plaything," She wandered over to where Rose was lying unconscious and dropped something into her open mouth, holding it shut so that she swallowed.

"What did you give her?" Mickey asked forcefully, and the Doctor was surprised at his newfound courage.

"Adrenaline pill, great invention by you humans," Rose suddenly jerked upwards, her eyes opening wide as she sucked in a heavy breath, before she fell back onto the bed.

"See, I want to give dear Rose something to remember me by," Her hand trailed down Rose's left leg, clad in jeans.

"Such lovely legs," She pulled the dagger from her blouse again, but not waiting for a snappy line before plunging it into her thigh.

"NO!" The Doctor shouted, as Rose screamed to high heaven. He ran over to her and pulled the dagger out, causing her to scream louder.

"GET HER OUT OF HERE!" He shouted. Jenna nodded as he thrust the sonic screwdriver into her hands. She darted to Rose's side and gripped her hand. What the Doctor didn't see was Mickey mouthing at Jenna to leave him. She understood that he had to help the Doctor. Jenna nodded and blew him a kiss, before pressing a button and disappearing with Rose in a flash of blue light.

"MICKEY!" The Doctor yelled, noticing he was still there.

"I couldn't just leave you to die!" The Doctor just rolled his eyes.

"That just means that I have two of you to rip apart," Evi said maliciously.

"Oh come on, you don't _actually _think I was going to let you turn my devilishly handsome face to mincemeat, did you?" The Doctor gestured to himself as Mickey snorted.

"'Devilishly handsome' is a bit of an overstatement," He retorted.

"Hey!" The Doctor argued, frowning in mock-offence.

"ENOUGH TALKING," Evi shrieked angrily. "If you don't give me your life, Time Lord, I shall take it from you by force," She shrugged, "Always more fun anyway,"

The Doctor saw the acidic spit flying towards him and darted to the side, knocking Mickey over.

"Easily solved, I have a setting on my-" The Doctor paused as he patted his suit jacket pockets.

"You gave your sonic screwdriver to Jenna, didn't you," Mickey grumbled, getting up off of the floor and brushing himself off.

"Um…yeah, I did. Guess we have to save the world - and myself, hopefully - the hard way," He exhaled deeply before knocking Mickey to the side as another ball of saliva flew their way.

"A little bit of warning next time!"

"I just saved your life, idiot!" The Doctor replied exasperatedly. Evi seemed to have given up attempting to sizzle them to death, in a rather unhygienic manner, and was now launching at them with the dagger, that the Doctor noticed was still covered in Rose's blood, making Mickey and the Doctor feel slightly nauseous.

"Look, I wasn't going to say anything before-," The Doctor skipped to the side as the knife slashed the air where he'd been standing a millisecond before, "-but you seem to have a problem with…saliva control. It's kind of disgusting, and the words 'say it don't spray it' ring true in this situation,"

"How dare you!" Evi screeched.

"Oop, and volume control as well it seems," Mickey added. Evi didn't say anything, but continued attacking them.

"This is getting ridiculous. I order you, by the Shadow Proclamation of the Medusa Cascade to halt your attack!" The Doctor ordered. Obviously Evi wasn't scared of the highest power of the universe, as she continued advancing on them.

"If you don't stop I will have to use force!" He threatened.

"Ooh, I'm shaking in my wickle booties!"

"I don't think she's going to stop Doctor…" Mickey said, stepping backwards. The Doctor suddenly felt a weight in his pocket. He frowned and reached inside his jacket. His 'manly, hairy' hand closed around something familiar and a brilliant grin. He laughed in a short burst, startling both Mickey and Evi.

"Oh Jenna you beautiful human being," He yelled joyously.

"What are you talking about?" Mickey asked.

"Guess what I've got!" He sang, pulling the sonic screwdriver out of his pocket.

"How-," Mickey frowned, "I saw you give that to Jenna!"

"Look, you have one more chance," The Doctor threatened.

"A _screwdriver?_" Evi mocked, "What are you going to do with a screwdriver?"

The Doctor didn't reply, he just pointed the sonic screwdriver at the light fixture that hung above her head. It fell, hitting its target perfectly and knocking Evi unconscious.

The Doctor knelt down next to Evi, picking up the alien's body much like he had with Rose's unconscious body, in what felt like centuries ago. He handed her to Mickey, unable to hold someone that had caused Rose so much pain. He teleported the three of them back to the Powell Estate and went straight to the TARDIS with Evi, Mickey running straight to the top flat where Jenna, Rose and Jackie were.

He dropped Evi's still unconscious body off at the Medusa Cascade, letting someone else prosecute her. He needed to get back to Rose. The Doctor immediately before the TARDIS took him back to the Powell Estate. He sprinted up the stairs and unlocked the front door using the sonic screwdriver, bursting inside.

"You know, there is a doorbell-" Jackie began to lecture him, but he ignored her.

"Where's Rose? Is she okay? How injured was she?" The questions flew out of his mouth one after the other, as Jenna came into the hallway in an attempt to soothe the livid Time Lord.

"She's stable, Doctor, she's okay," She said. "I studied nursing a while ago, so I pretty much knew what to do with her injuries," She led him into the room that he'd slept in during his last regeneration, when it had gone wrong.

"Why isn't she in her room?" The Doctor asked, calming considerably after spying his companion lying in the single bed.

"She woke up a little bit, when I transported her back here. She demanded to be put in this room,"

Rose was fast asleep, her blonde hair splayed out across the pillow like a halo. Her chest was rising and falling slowly as she breathed shallow breaths. There were cuts all over her skin, but they just looked like scratches made by a small animal. There were bandages on her face, and her bottom half was hidden by the duvet, but the Doctor knew she had a huge bandage round her thigh. She looked so pale…and weak. It broke the Doctor's hearts.

"How bad was it?" The Doctor asked quietly.

"Most of the cuts were minor, but she had a few deep ones, a puncture to the right thigh, and acid burns to the face. She's healing faster than a human; I think that's because of her immortality, to sound like a teenage vampire TV show."

"How in Gallifrey did you get the screwdriver to me, Jenna?" She smiled cheekily.

"That was your savoir Rose Tyler at work again. When we got back here she wanted to know where you were. When I told her that you'd stayed behind she told me a little bit about Torchwood and the dashing Captain Jack Harkness-," He rolled his eyes at this, "-And their ability to transport objects. The minute I called him on Rose's phone Jack immediately came over and teleported it to 'the Doctor's suit pocket' as he told me," Jenna chuckled. "Rose actually complained it was taking too long and tried to get into the TARDIS and go after you. I've never seen her so angry. I thought she was going to hit someone!" The Doctor laughed, his entire being feeling warm at the thought that Rose cared so much about him.

"That's Rose; she just can't not help anyone in trouble," He murmured.

"She's wonderful. I can see why you love her," Jenna said. _Was it really that obvious_? The Doctor thought. Instead he ignored her little remark.

"Thank you so much Jenna. You saved both mine and Rose's lives," She waved his gratitude away.

"You brought me to Mickey. You made me feel like I was being looked after, not the other way around," She said fondly.

"Are you two definitely an item now?" The Doctor asked.

"I think so. Rose told him that she was okay with him dating me," She blushed lightly as the Doctor pulled her into a hug.

"I'm happy for you," He said. Of course, it had nothing to do with the fact that Rose would now focus her affections solely on him without feeling any guilt over Mickey, nothing _whatsoever._

Jenna sensed that it was time to leave, so she extricated himself from his arms and left the room, giving him a small grin before closing the door. The Doctor walked across the room and sat down carefully next to Rose's sleeping form. After a moment of deliberation he reached over and stroked her uninjured cheek.

"This entire thing is all my fault," He muttered. "Right back to when I asked you to come and travel through time and space with me. I should've realised how dangerous it was with me when you almost died after absorbing the Time Vortex," He exhaled shakily. "It's true, people around me always die. I kill everything I touch." His voice shook, as he gathered the strength to say the next sentence, "But I love you, Rose Tyler, and that's why I can't let you go. That's why I'd fight for you every step of the way. And now I've doomed you to a curse much like my own – an inability to die. And I'm so, _so _sorry." He snorted. "Of course you can't hear anything, you're unconscious. Which is probably a good thing because I could never actually have the courage to say that to your face," He leaned forward and pressed his lips to her warm forehead.

"Ooh, I feel like a slightly more battered version of Sleeping Beauty," The Doctor stilled in shock before he grinned at Rose's mischievous trick. She really was a fantastic actress.

"Damn, I forgot to buy you a 'Get Well Soon' card," He said, pulling back.

"Oh, that's alright. I'm sure the newsagent is still open. If you run you'll probably be back in about ten minutes," Rose opened her eyes and smiled angelically. The Doctor had a very good idea that Rose had actually heard him through the entire speech, and he'd probably just humiliated himself, but he didn't say anything.

"How are you feeling?" He asked concerned.

"I'm fine, fine. Bit under the weather, but I'm indestructible, me." She said light-heartedly before quickly slapping him around the head.

"_That_ is for trying to sacrifice yourself to save me!"

"OW!" He complained, rubbing his head. "You don't half hit like your mother!" Rose chuckled.

"The Oncoming Storm is nothing compared to the wrath of Jackie Tyler," She teased, taking his hand. They sat in a comfortable silence for a while until Rose broke it.

"We need to talk," She started, and the Doctor snickered.

"That sounded like a line out of a romance movie," He joked, however Rose didn't let it go.

"I'm serious, Doctor." Rose said. "You…you said you loved me." The Doctor looked down at the _awful _pale blue duvet cover.

"Is that true?" She pressed; he looked her in the eyes before uttering a quiet 'yes'. Her eyes brightened as she launched herself forward, her lips colliding with his as all of the constellations danced beneath his eyelids. His hands slid carefully from the duvet, to her thighs, to her waist, to her stomach, to her neck and finally resting on her cheeks. He didn't want to risk hurting Rose in any way possible, but Rose seemed to get impatient with his cautious touches, as she gripped his suit lapels and pulled him as close to her as he could physically get. The Doctor begun to feel a little more confident and he pushed her back onto the bed. Rose giggled as he balanced his weight so that he wouldn't hurt her.

"Oh, I've been waiting too long for this," Rose whispered. The Doctor pulled back and looked into her beautiful green eyes.

"I've been waiting nine centuries," He replied softly, and Rose saw a glimpse of his vulnerable side, one that he'd never shown to anyone else.

Yep, definitely worth the wait.

**A/N: So, that's it. I have conflicted emotions about finishing this. Sad that it's finished, but also glad, because it's the first one I've ever _actually _completed. **

**Seeing as it's the end (even though there will be an epilogue...) why don't you leave me a review? Please tell me if you liked it...how you thought it flowed...if it was boring...even ideas for the epilogue? I have a pretty sturdy one right now, but I'm always up for suggestions. Oh and did you think that the characters were OOC at all? **

**And finally, I'd like to thank you, reader. I know I do it in nearly every chapter, but I really do mean it. I love you guys. You're the best, and thank you for sticking with me through this story. **


	15. Epilogue Sneakers and Pinstripes

**A/N: HERE IT IS! THE LONG AWAITED (I hope...) EPILOGUE TO WORTH THE WAIT. **

**Just a slight warning, this epilogue is VERY FLUFFY, so it's up to you if you read it or not. **

**One last thing, I won't be writing any sort of sequel, because I feel that it's better off finishing it here, without me trying to drag out another story. HOWEVER, I have got a 10.5/Rose story in the making, but there's no promising that it will _actually _happen, because I don't post stories unless I've actually finished them, that way there's no disappointing my readers! **

**Please, please let me know what you think. **

***Sniff* I can't believe it's really over. **

**We had fun though, didn't we? Well, I certainly hoped you enjoyed reading it, at least. You were all _fantastic. _;) **

Epilogue: Sneakers and Pinstripes

The large doors atthe end of the church swung open and Rose walked through them carrying a beautiful bouquet of flowers. The Doctor stood at the other end, by the vicar, dressed in a dashing black suit with a grey handkerchief in his pocket and freshly shined black shoes. Rose grinned at him as she walked down the aisle before standing on the other side of the vicar. She looked phenomenal, dressed in a dark green dress, it was simple but gorgeous. There was a sash tied around her waist, studded with three large diamonds across the front. Her blonde hair was loose but it was wavy, a change from her usual pencil straight hair. She wore light green eye shadow and pale pink lipstick and the Doctor didn't think he'd ever seen anyone so beautiful.

She was followed by another woman, a friend of Jenna's and a small girl – the friend's daughter, but the Doctor couldn't tear his eyes away from Rose.

"Hi," She mouthed at him.

"Hello," He replied, before turning his attention back to the large doors (or at least trying to, Rose was pretty distracting. Soon his gaze was back on her again). Tony gurgled on Jackie's lap happily as 'the Wedding March' started playing.

"Wow," Mickey breathed from beside the Doctor. "She looks amazing," The Doctor nodded, although he was still staring at Rose. She grinned at him, tilting her head, motioning that he should be watching Jenna instead of herself. He winked at her before turning his attention to the bride.

Jenna was wearing a beautiful strapless wedding dress with a lace bodice and a flowing white skirt, beading down the length of it. Her hair was pulled back into a neat bun, with a tiara perched on top of her head, and she wore a diamante necklace and bracelet. Jenna approached Mickey, taking the same path that Rose had, her arm linked through her father's. Her mother was seated in the front row, tears flowing freely as she watched her only daughter get married.

When Jenna reached Mickey and the Vicar, the Doctor and Rose took their seats in the front row next to Jackie and Pete.

"I can't believe it's been a year since they met!" Rose squealed quietly as the ceremony began.

"We are here today to join together this man and this woman in holy matrimony," Rose wrapped her arm through the Doctor's and slid her hand into his.

"I know. Time flies," He whispered back as she rested her head on his shoulder.

"You know I don't think I've ever seen anyone look more dashing in a suit,"

"Do you Mickey Smith, take Jenna Louise Roberts to be your lawfully wedded wife, for better or for worse, in sickness and in health, until death do you part?"

"I do," Mickey said. Rose chuckled.

"All my life, I never thought I'd ever Mickey Smith getting married," She told him.

"How do you feel about it?" The Doctor asked cautiously. Rose smiled at him.

"Me and Mickey had a past, sure, but we were always better as friends. Besides, there's another guy that captured my heart," She leant forward, lowering her voice, seeing as a lot of the party guests were under the impression that the Doctor was a schoolteacher called John Smith. "A man that took my hand in the basement of Hernrik's Department Store and told me to run. A man that I still loved even after his entire body changed," She stroked her thumb across his knuckles.

"And do you, Jenna Louise Roberts, take this man, Mickey Smith, to be your lawfully wedded husband, for better or for worse; in sickness and in health until death do you part?"

"I-I do," She stuttered, her voice heavy with emotion.

"Ah, this man had model looks, fantastic charms and a great personality I suppose?" The Doctor asked.

"Well, sort of. His big ego kind of detracts from everything really," Rose nudged his shoulder teasingly. "Jenna really is wonderful though. I'm glad Mickey found someone he loves that's so good for him," The Doctor murmured his agreement. They all stood to sing a hymn.

"It really is a lovely wedding," Rose said, observing the church.

-:-

After the service people filed out, on their way to the reception and Rose and the Doctor got in the car with Jackie, Pete and Tony. Rose intertwined her fingers through the Doctor's, a motion that was so familiar now that she did it almost unconsciously.

The reception was beautiful - a marquee outside. Most of the decoration was white but cream curtains hung and white roses sat on the tables, along with two tall candles. Rose was sat next to Jenna, with the Doctor next to her. They ate a delicious meal of calamari for starter, roasted fillet of beef with Madiera sauce for the main and a slice of cheesecake for dessert. Rose didn't think she was ever going to move again after the amount she'd eaten.

"Now, if the newly wedded couple could make their way to the dance floor, it's time for your first dance," Jenna blushed as Mickey took his wife's hand and led her to the dance floor. Jack Johnson's 'Better Together' began to play and the Doctor watched Rose smile as their two friends began to dance. It soon ended, and the Doctor nudged Rose. She grinned at him.

"What do you want?" She asked.

"You," He leaned closer, and Rose's breathing stuttered. "To dance with me," He said, winking cheekily. Rose rolled her eyes good naturedly.

"I thought the Doctor didn't dance," She replied.

"Only with you, Rose Tyler," All traces of humour disappeared from her face as she smiled radiantly. She placed a small kiss on his lips, before pulling away.

"Alright then, show me your moves," She challenged as 'You Are the First, My Last, My Everything' by Barry White.

As much as Rose _hated _to admit it, the Doctor was a fantastic dancer. He dipped her and spun her. After showing off quite a large amount, the Doctor and Rose finally just swayed. Rose's arms were locked around his neck and the Doctor's hands were around her waist, holding her closely.

"Mm, I love this song," She murmured.

"You know, I knew Barry White. We actually sung 'Let the Music Play On' together. It was fantastic,"

"Okay, you're definitely taking me back to meet him. Tomorrow," Rose whispered.

"Maybe, if you're lucky I will." He smirked. "Although I'm not sure how eager Jenna will be for you to leave the day after her wedding."

"She's going to Antigua for three weeks with Mickey for their honeymoon. I don't think she'll mind – or even notice."

"Fine, Barry White it is," The Doctor looked up as the song ended.

"Thank you for the dance, Ms. Tyler," Rose chuckled as he bowed comically.

-:-

It was midnight by the time Rose and the Doctor finally crashed through the doors of the TARDIS, both deeply exhausted from spending most of the night dancing. They collapsed on the bed that they shared, laughing breathily.

"That was so much fun," Rose yawned.

"It was fantastic," He lifted his foot and pulled off his rather posh Italian made shoe, before doing the same with the other one. "My feet are aching though."

"I definitely prefer you in sneakers," Rose observed. "And pinstripes,"

"Yeah me too,"

-:-

Rose pulled the duvet up to her chin as she buried down into the mattress, sighing happily. Suddenly she felt an arm slide round her waist as she was pulled backwards into a warm body.

"Hello," The Doctor whispered in her ear. Rose snuggled closer to him and put her hand over his, her other one resting under her pillow.

"Goodnight," Her voice was slurred with sleep. The Doctor leaned over and kissed her cheek.

"I love you," He blurted suddenly. Rose smiled warmly, pressing a kiss to his hand.

"I love you too,"


End file.
